Pride Comes Before the Fall
by Foxtronic
Summary: Reborn is the Greatest Hitman in the World. He would know if he had a kid, alright? He would know. He's Reborn. Therefore, this kid can't be his. Unfortunately for the Mafia (and Reborn, but mostly the Mafia) he is. This creates problems. (1st in the 'Pride, Gluttony and Humility Between Them' series)
1. First they ignore you

Why Mama, that's quite a secret you have there. I wonder, what would happen if it got out?

* * *

 _~ Pay no attention ~_  
 _to the lies they try to feed you_  
 _It's a wicked, twisted fable_  
 _He's not stable_  
 _It's just another box of tricks_  
 _~ a crock of shit and good dreams go wasted ~_

* * *

Tsunayoshi was an...odd child. Even before everything, before that man came, before he was set on a path that would have him meeting the most powerful people in the world, in an entirely new secret society. Tsuna being odd was well known.

It had never been anything really eye catching. Just small, little things that added up to make something altogether unusual to the people of Namimori.

For one, Tsuna had never been scared of the Hibari's. The family, for all that they protected the town, were well known for having connections to the yakuza, not to mention how odd they were themselves.

The most current Hibari that lived in town on a somewhat regular basis, had a very _deep_ connection to animal kingdom metaphors. And even that Hibari was more unpleasant then most to meet, as his most used option for diplomacy was swift, brutal force.

But Tsunayoshi didn't seem to.. well, care.

At all.

To the People of Namimori it seemed like the cheerful child just didn't see the Hibari's as a threat. The Adult Hibari's, when they were in town, seemed amused by the child. Often indulging him when he would walk stright up to them to talk. About what no one but the two parties could ever find out.

The Baby Hibari on the other hand, seemed to take it as a challenge. You could often see the two locked in a chase through out town, on the good days Tsuna escaped. On the bad days, Tsuna limped home black and blue, while Baby Hibari slunk off to nurse his own wounds, a strange look on his face that seemed like a mix between satisfaction and pouting.

Thus to the people of Namimori, Tsunayoshi Sawada was a strange child, though not at all a bad one.

So it's sickening to realize, that the day Tsunayoshi Sawada falls out of a tree in own his back yard, in front of an old man called Nono. That the people of Namimori are about to have a very sudden change of heart.

One that will push a strange, lonely child stright into the arms of the darkest parts of the underworld.

* * *

Tsuna has always known his mama wasn't a very good one. Tsuna thought she loved him. She did everything his books said a mama was supposed to do. She took care of him when he was sick, fed him his favorite foods on his birthday, read to him at night. She always did everything right, but every time he looked any deeper then the surface there was this disconnect between the way she acted (oblivious, sweet, homely) and the way she felt (ditzy, discordant, frigid).

It hurt. Because he wasn't stupid, he knew that she only ever felt that way when she looked at him. She tried, he could feel how hard she tried everyday to love him, but there was always a crack. A small little thing he could feel inside her that didn't quite agree that loving him was right choice. But he loved his mama no matter what she secretly felt about him, so he tried very, very hard to stay out of her way.

But it just got worse once That Man came. He had done something to Tsuna that day, something that made him clumsy, that made his head hurt if he thought to much or read to much or talked to much or did to much of anything really. He did something to make the people around him cruel.

Because Tsuna wasn't stupid, he knew this was all very wrong, somehow. No matter what the school liked to say. He knew that mothers weren't supposed to call their children dame. That mothers weren't supposed to laugh at finding blood on their children's clothes.

He knew this like he knew that schools weren't supposed to ignore bullying and belittle students when they asked for extra help. He knew all of this. But it didn't matter because it just kept happening. And it was all That Man's fault.

Because no matter who he told, or how much he cried no one cared. He had thought, in the beginning that if he just waited long enough someone would come, or if he just told someone in exactly the right way they would stop it. But after waiting for weeks and weeks, seeing people dismiss him or just ignore what was going on he gave up. No one was going to help him.

If he wanted anything to change, he would have to do it himself. It was at that point where he realized he only really had two options. He could lay down and die, figuratively. He could accept that this was his life now, numb himself to the pain and move forward with the way his life seemed to want to go. It would be easy.

Or..

He could refuse.

He could say no to all of this, to the bullies that seemed to find him no matter where he hid, to the teachers who always called in him when they had to know he didn't know the answers. To his Mama the called him Dame-Tsuna so affectionately, but who he could feel kinda believed it deep inside her. No to the bruises, no to the black eyes and broken bones, no to barely getting anything to eat because his mama forgot to cook enough for both of them again. He could say no to all of it.

He would have to fight, and struggle, and he knew it was going to hurt. He could feel that this path would take him so low that he might want to die at some point. The twists and turns of where he knew this was going would not be fun or easy. But he also knew that at the end of this path he had a chance to be happy.

It wasn't a 100% chance, and the road to it would bedifficult, but he refused to give these people the satisfaction of breaking his spirit before he could even try.

In another life Tsuna would have stayed as he was, would have become used to the abuse, ignored the way he would sometimes know things because it hurt to much. Never knowing what could have been.

But in this life Tsuna has the Blood of Giants in his veins. He has pride, spite, and a strong desire to live his life, with or without the good opinion of everyone else.

He is so much like his father in this moment that if the man could only see the conviction buring in strangely familiar eyes, he would never doubt that this boy was his son.

* * *

The first few plans he tries crash and burn one way or another.

When he tries to run away the first time the Hibari's track him down easily. He was actually doing pretty well before they found him, he'd had a warm little nest in a tree he'd found right outside of the towns borders. It's only when he starts running errands for the local yakuza that he's spotted by an Adult Hibari and taken back.

He mama never realizes he was gone. This repeats about seven different, increaseingly annoying times before the Adult Hibari's get tired of fetching him and threaten to send Baby Hibari if he tries to leave again.

That plan is put on the shelf until he can figure out how to get farther away then the next town over with out getting caught.

(Baby Hibari is very put-out when he doesn't try to run again. The next few weeks of 'Play Fights' as the Adult Hibari's named it years ago, are much rougher.)

His next plan backfires so spectacularly that he's ashamed for ever thinking of it in the first place.

The first step is simple. Fight Everyone.

In the years he's known the Baby Hibari it always confused and astounded him how easily Baby Hibari got everyone to avoid him. They even went out of their way to avoid him! It was amazing. (And super unfair)

So after researching what the Baby Hibari does in his natural habitat for the next few days, (and no it wasn't stalking, no matter what the Adult Hibari's liked to coo at him)

he comes to the startling conclusion that all he has to do is hit people enough that they start not getting up! It's so simple!

After finding the secret to Baby Hibari's success in avoidance, he tries it out himself.

It goes about as well as you think it would. Even though Tsuna has a fighting spirit that was always willing to kickass and take names, his body didn't really agree.

Most of the time he loses. Pathetically.

The few fights he does win are by the skin of his teeth and the timely intervention of Baby Hibari.

(Not that he ever intervened to help Tsuna out, it was more like if you were disturbing the peace in namori you were getting bitten to death regardless of why or who you were fighting.)

Trying to bribe his way out of town is apparently hilarious because every Adult Hibari he tries it with laughs at him.

Yeah, he understands his bribe of candy and eternal gratitude isn't the most sellable currency, but it's just rude to laugh.

(Baby Hibari just takes the candy and demands he join the Disciplinary Committee he's forming. A chase starts when HE laughs at Baby Hibari)

Stupid Hibari's.

His last desperate plan is to simply blackmail everyone into leaving him alone.

It takes months to gather enough evidence, and he was a suspicion that without his knowing stuff it would take even longer. But it goes well. He already has a few people running interference with the rest of the herd, (Damn Baby Hibari for rubbing off on him) so that he's left relatively in peace. It's heavenly.

It all comes crashing down when one of his blackmailies tips off the forming gang that Baby Hibari calls a Disciplinary Committee.

(He swears revenge against Baby Hibari that day. All his work, ever hour he's spent looking under every rock and into ever shadow for secrets that no one wants known and he's **stealing** it all. It's not fair!

It's days later when an Adult Hibari, a nice man that's always had very pretty hair and who's never treated Tsuna anything other then kindly, tells Tsuna that everything he's found out is being used to further the reach of the Disciplinary Committee and that Baby Hibari has sworn on the family honor to get Tsuna into his Committee.

His reaction is not what the Adult Hibari was expecting.

At all.

* * *

Fon thinks the Sky his nephew has chosen was adorable.

With his gravity defying hair and cute face, he's easily able to ignore those familiar eyes. With how long they've been courting each other, (From toddlerhood! How cute!) Fon knows that Kyoya will be falling into his chosen Sky very soon. Or at least he thought so.

Its only when he tells the Baby Sky what Kyoya done to show off that things take a turn for the worst.

Its that cold almost-familiar tone that clues Fon in that something has gone very wrong.

"What."

Oh dear.

Fon's spine straightens unconsciously as he eyes the now still boy in the bed.

"Kyoya asked that I tell you the information you've given him has been very helpful. And that I offer you a place as his third in command. Again." He tries to add a playful tone to the end, to tell the boy he's only teasing.

It doesn't seem to have any effect as the child just curls up tighter. The Rage in those familiar eyes (who exactly did they remind him of?) would make him uncomfortable if he wasn't one of the Strongest Flame users in the world.

This has gotten out of control so very quickly.

Whatever Kyoya has done, has pissed this Sky off so badly he could almost feel the withdrawal of Harmony from his potential Cloud Guardian. Kyoya was going to go insane.

"You tell that.. that fucking hypocrite. That I will **never** join him. He could be the last person on earth, the last person to have water or food or **anything,** and I would destroy it just to spite him and destroy us both. I hope he **rots**."

Fon backs off after that.

Now is not the time to to try to change his mind. Not when he was sending spikes of Sky Flames out like that for defense.

It's as Fon's hurrying home to inform the clan at what exactly Kyoya messed up on that he think back to those eyes. Ones he just realized we're more desperate then any he's seen in a long time.

What ever you've done Kyoya, I hope it's worth it. Because it's just lost you, your Sky.

* * *

But nothing worked.

It was like the whole town was determined to ruin him; at some point, spite just doesn't cut it anymore. Spite is tiring. It makes you ache for closeness and safety.

He knows he won't be able to keep this up for much longer with no hope in sight. This 'Me against the World!' Mentality. It's unhealthy.

So.. at some point, you just have to stop.

You have to stop trying to prove yourself in a school that doesn't want you to anyway, He knows theirs no point in trying to change the minds of people who want to stay intentionally ignorant.

But the day he walks in and hears his Mother talking to her husband about him? About how just plan wrong he is in some fundamental way?

It's defeating. It makes him want to give up, just go to sleep and never wake up again.

But he's chosen his path. He knew I would be difficult before he even started walking it. This was his line in the sand. He refused to grow up anymore in an environment where he was expected to fail, where he had no other option then to fail.

Fuck no.

* * *

He wonders if it's fate finding that paperwork in his mothers closet that night, while he was looking for the money he _knew_ she hid there.

It has to be, seeing how it has the 'unknown' mans name on it, even faded it's still readable.

He idly wonders as he takes both it and the money back into his room, how exactly it was, Nana of all people, had gotten the Greatest Hitman in the Worlds blood without him knowing.

Because really, who else could it be with the name **_Reborn_**?

* * *

 _~ There's no place like home ~_


	2. Then they ridicule you

_~ Jump in my balloon ~_  
 _I'll take you higher_

 _Take you somewhere over the rainbow_  
 _Get your ticket to the show_

 _Heels click, and here we go_  
 _~ Cuz you already know ~_

* * *

The strange thing is, for a kid who most of the town hates, a lot of people watch him. It's never anything malicious, always more like their eyes can't help but catch on him. Even when he's trying his hardest to go unnoticed it's like something pulls people towards him.

It was nice when he was little. He always had kids to play with at the park, and the teachers at school would call on him when he raised his hand more often than anyone else. It was only after, That Man came that things went downhill. Suddenly he has all these friends he can't play with anymore, he falls down to much or falls on them to much, or he feels weird now, or they don't like his hair or any number of stupid things.

But Tsuna wasn't clumsy.

He _knew_ that and thank god he still _knew_ things after, That Man came other wise he honestly could tell you, nothing good would have happened to him. Something very, very bad would have happened instead. (He _knew_ it. And the things he _knew_ about what would have happened to him were terrifying)

Tsuna wasn't any of those things but suddenly he was. The teachers no longer called on him because he couldn't think anymore. His grades started to plummet because doing anything felt like swimming through a pool of mochi, his Mama has stopped smiling at him and he _knew_ why but he didn't know _why_ , and everything was horrible.

But the people!

Tsuna noticed a while after he finished accumulating to this new, unwanted normal, that the people _kept watching_. It was like they couldn't help themselves, even when they wished they didn't have to see him.

And **that** , he knew wasn't normal.

So he adapted to the watching. Used it even. When people watched him now they almost forgot he was there. They talked as they normally would but it was like he was furniture, uncomprehending of the context or ability to understand them, and unless he did something truly strange they would talk about anything, even things they normally wouldn't talk about around strangers. Shouldn't talk about around strangers.

This was how Tsuna first heard about the Italian Mafia. It was still pretty early on, when he was trying to understand what exactly had happened to him, that he stumbled across some tough looking guys. They were taller than the average japanese person, and rough looking, like Yakuza but with light hair and light eyes. To Tsuna they looked dangerous but he _knew_ he needed to hear what they were talking about. So when their eyes pinned him, he kept walking.

 _Not to slow and not to fast, head not to low, not to high, don't make eye contact, breath._

 ** _You can do this_.**

Their thoughts of him slid off. Their eyes still followed him but he wasn't an issue in their minds anymore. They continued talking as he slide against the wall a little ways away from them, took out a book he'd been trying to read all day, and listened.

* * *

That had been his first successful use of his strange 'everybody/nobody's watching' power. It hadn't been the last by a long shot, but that had been the first time he'd heard of the Mafia. And that his mother's husband was in it. He hadn't understood that at the time and they never said his name but there aren't exactly a lot of Sawada's in Namimori who look like gaijin and have blonde hair. It wasn't really that hard to figure out.

So Tsuna knew about the Mafia. He knew who Reborn was. The problem, was finding the man. For someone who boasted a lot about being the greatest Hitman in the world he was extremely hard to get a hold of. No one knew how to get in contact with him, unless you were in the Vongola or had their favor, it was close to impossible.

And talking to them was so far down on his list of 'Fuck that' that it wasn't even funny.

Tsuna had contacts in the underworld, maybe not very many but that _still_ wasn't the problem. It was having someone high enough to know where th Hitman was but didn't know who HE was 'supposed' to be. For someone who, supposedly wanted to protect his civilian family, a whole hell of a lot of the underworld knew exactly where the Young Lions family were. The only 'protection' they really had was The Underworld not wanting to play chicken with the Vongola. It was a fine line and he didn't actually know if he could walk it without outing himself to the world at large as Active Criminal, instead of Civilian-Family-Member-of-Powerful-Active-Criminal-from-Italian-Mafia-Royalty. Ugh.

But Tsuna was patient. Well. He was more vindictively pleased he would be getting one over on the Criminal Underworld, so he was willing to act patient for the perfect time to act. Thankfully that time came about 4 weeks after he'd found the test.

* * *

It was while he was sitting in his room counting the money he'd managed to save for the past 3 years that he got The Text. (it came to about 45,619 yen. No where near enough. It wasn't a lot to travel on for however long he'd need to. He'd have to try to take some more chores around the house..)

Looking at the message after he'd hidden the money under the floorboards in his closet, he couldn't help a fairly smug smile.

[ **Unknown** **number** : Shameless is in Namimori checking on the birds.

 **Jinx** : How much for an introduction?

 **Unknown** **number** : If you cross dress I'll lower it to 6,800. It'll be funny.

 **Jinx** : Agreed. What time?

 **Unknown** **number** : 7. At that American hotel, you know the one?

 **Jinx** : yeah. I'll meet you there. ]

Tsuna threw the phone be down beside him on the bed, rolling to the side, he covered his face with his hands and started giggling. 'Oh this was great! This had to be a sign! The one man who could validate the paternity test was in Namimori. And being freelance he would have no idea who he was supposed to be! This was actually happening. He was going to find _**Reborn**_.

And... hopefully… if he was very, very lucky. His father would be happy to see him.

He didn't know what he'd do if he wasn't. He was just so damn tired all the time. He just... wanted someone on _his_ side for once. Just one person.

He'd be so happy for just one person.

* * *

 _~ There's no place like home ~_


	3. And then they attack you

_~ If you're lost out there ~_  
 _in the night_  
 _Wishing on stars_  
 _wonder who you are_  
 _Just know that_  
 _you're never alone_  
 _~ And ~_

* * *

It takes an insultingly small amount of lying, to convince Nana to let him leave the house at 6. The moment he's done tripping down the stairs, all he has to say is he's going to a friend's house for the night, before she's shooing him off with a handful of bills. It's ridiculous. He _knows_ , she knows he has no friends. It's common knowledge in town he's No-Good. What type of responsible parent would allow their kids to associate with him?

Squeezing the money tightly he quickly shoved it into his hoodie pocket without looking, running a hand down his face, he grabbed his backpack and he set off. Now was not the time to listen to the little voice in his head that told him, she does know he doesn't have any friends. She just doesn't care.

He needed to get to Main Street before 6:20 if he wanted to make the bus stop, he also still needed to change into his costume. Refusing to look around the neighbourhood as he left he had a vague hope that today he'd be lucky, that today no one else would see him. Nothing weird or unfair would happen. No kids from school, no condescending adults, and no fucking hypocritical Hibar-

"Deceiver."

Goddamnit.

"Hibari-sempai, hey!" Tsuna tried very hard to hide the raging swearing that was going on in his head. He was a calm ocean. Nothing could affect him. "What can I do for you this beautiful, none herbivorous crowding night?"

Standing there in all his should-have-already-been-in-middle-school-and-leaving-him-the-hell-alone glory, was Hibari Kyoya. Self proclaimed Carnivore, Holy Terror to the town of Namimori, the future Demon Perfect himself.

The hypocrite who didn't like disturbances in his town but who let Tsuna get bullied literally everywhere he went. Who even when he was in the area, refused to lift even one tonfa in his defense. But god forbid you breath even remotely near the roof while he was taking a nap, because that's when you deserved to get 'bitten.' Yeah… let's just say he really didn't like this guy and leave it at that, ok?

Tsuna bounced on the balls of his feet as Hibari stared at him, a pensive look on his normally blank face. While it was true he couldn't fight Hibari and win, he could (and did. Constantly.) escape him. It was one of the good points of _knowing_ stuff, like _knowing_ when exactly to turn down a specific hallway where older kids were mugging underclassmen. As long as Tsuna wasn't the one getting mugged, Hibari **had** to stop to 'bite' them all to death; by the time he was done, Tsuna was always long gone. It was the perfect system. Except when this happened.

Tsuna shook himself out of his thoughts as Hibari took a threatening step forward, eyes narrowed into sharp metal points, trained straight at him. "Join the Disciplinary Community." Tsuna's hurried shuffle backwards was instinctive, as was his response.

"No way in hell."

They both paused at that. No matter how many times this exact situation happened, Hibari was always, always surprised at his refusal. It was like someone being willing _(and able! Let's not forget the able part.)_ to deny him something he wanted had never crossed his mind. Hibari's mouth turned down at the corners, Tsuna prepared to run.

Why did these things always happen to him?

* * *

Staggering into the lobby of the hotel, Tsuna tried very hard not to curse out loud at the pain in his shin. Damn that insanity wrapped in a child shaped package. He couldn't be a real person. No one, was such a caricature of Violence and Possessiveness, he just couldn't be real. It was impossible. **He** was impossible.

The pain in his leg would like to disrespectfully, disagree.

He was very much possible, because if he wasn't that meant Tsuna was delusional and his hallucinations were having real world effects. And that was really just, not, something he wanted to deal with at the moment.  
Trying to ignore the bruise he could just feel forming on his shin, Tsuna limped into the hotels bathroom. The large stall would be easy enough to change in and stash his bag behind. It wouldn't be a huge loss if anyone found it and he could always check the lost and found later if it wasn't here when he got back.

Heading inside the stall he clicked the lock shut and turned to pull out a very pretty, light yellow sundress. With him still being so small and a kid, it wouldn't be all that hard to pass for a girl while he talked to his informant and that weirdo.

Thankfully there weren't any zippers on the dress like he'd seen on Mama's sometimes, so it was easy to just slip over his head. He smoothed out the wrinkles that had formed from the chase with Hibari through town and stuffed the bag with his shorts and hoodie, before pushing it as far behind the toilet as it would go.

Taking a deep breath Tsuna pushed the stall door open and looked at his reflection. A smallish kid stared back at him, expression a mix between an ironic smile and the same severe, unbowed outrage that he could never seem to hid in his eyes.

If there was one thing he knew people didn't like about him, somthing that was solely him and not whatever That Man had done to him.

His eyes scared people.

Before That Man had came they had been dark, but they'd still been normal. It was only afterwards when he'd realized that something had been done to him, someone had taken something from him without his knowledge, that they had turned... strange. His eyes had changed from the dull black of the darkest browns, to somthing much, much darker.

It was hard to explain. They weren't the darkest shade of coffee like his Mama used to tell him when he caught her looking. Or the color of the night sky when it just got dark like her husband once said.

They were the black of looking into a void and realizing something was looking back at you, it was that type of black that made people _uncomfortable._

It was the type of black that could make people fear that the monster under their bed was real and understand why children were burned at the stake as witches so long ago.

He liked them a lot.

Ever since he'd found out who his actual father was, he'd hoped his eyes were the same. Maybe his father wouldn't be scared to look him in the eyes when he was angry like Mama was! He could even _like_ being able to share features with him. Mama was always so sad when she looked at his face. He _knew_ why, he didn't blame her. It was just.. it would be really nice to have a dad.

He'd never heard of **_Reborn_** having a family so maybe they were the only two with eyes like these? Mayb-

He cut that thought off right there. He could think about his Dad later. He needed to go meet up with V before it got any later, he was already running against the clock as it was, with Hibari learning to throw his Tonfas at His legs as he made his escape, injuring it and slowing him down. Taking a deep breath Tsuna turned around and stormed out of the bathroom lest he lose his nerve before he even got to the room. He could do this. He would do this.

He was Tsunayoshi. He may not have any titles like his dad did yet but damnit; He would not chicken out! It was time to trick the Hitman, Trident Shamel.

* * *

 _~ There's no place like home ~_


	4. and want to burn you

_( A.N. So. Uh. This chapter is literally just for AmandaPandaOh. Like. I wasn't planning on posting this yet? Since I just posted the last one like, a couple hours ago. But fuck man your review killed me. I'll definitely be responding to you in a bit, but I thought you might like this more first?_

 _( P.S Please send more reviews like this because holy shit that was better the chocolate.)_

•~~•

 _~ Green! Is a way of life ~_  
 _And the millions would kill to see their name up in the lights_  
 _For the green is okay tonight_  
 _But be careful what you wish_  
 _~ Because you might get what you like ~_

•~~•

Getting through to the Upscale hotels elevator is easy. All he has to do is act like he's following an older couple up. The few people that eye him oddly, either noticing that the couples and his features don't _quite_ match or that the ages are _just_ shy of believable are pacified with a quick smile aimed towards them. Their thoughts are practically written on their faces. It's only common sense really. Because If a kid wasn't supposed to be somewhere why would they look so normal?

 _Wouldn't they be nervous? Scared they'd get caught? Worried that someone would catch on to whatever they're doing? They were only kids. They couldn't think much farther then that, right?_

Adults are stupid.

It's like they forgot moments after they hit 20 that children and teenagers aren't stupid. They can reason with the best when they want to, fool the entirety of their social circle into thinking that their _fine_ days before they commit suicide, trick themselves into believing that what they do is _good_ and _ok_ if they've had enough practice.

Tsuna has had a lot of practice in being where he's not supposed to be. So getting through the lobby without some 'well-meaning' adult grabbing him is child's play.

Because adults are stupid.

It's getting out of the elevator once it hits his floor that turns out to be a problem. The older couple he'd been following grew more and more concerned as the floors pass. The hotel isn't a small one so by the time they pass the 28th floor the man is sharing looks with his wife.

Ugh. And now it's time for the inquiry.

3..

2..

1..

"Honey? Do you know where you're supposed to be getting off?" Seems the woman was the braver of the two. Or maybe she just thought I'd be more willing to talk to her since I'm also a girl right now? Either way it's annoying.

"Yeah! My dad's on the 30th floor! Mama dropped me off to see him since he doesn't live at home anymore! Where are you guys going?" Tsuna really hated having to talk like this, it was demeaning. But adults expected it and there wasn't any way to wiggle out of expectations when you needed to be forgotten. Unfortunately.

At least they looked mildly less concerned now. Even if the man looked more disapproving than before. Probably at his 'Mama' for not walking him in. Whatever man, mind your own business. Stop judging my fake mother.

Thankfully they take the rest of the ride in blissfully awkward silence, since people don't normally make small talk with children, so they just stand there. Awkwardly. The last two floors seem to pass even more slowly than before.

The ding for his floor is a god send.

Stepping out he made sure to turn around and smile extra brightly to the couple. ( _Forget I was ever here. I'm just normal kid)_ "Bye!"

If the confused smiles and half wave he gets back is any indication his weird powers have worked once again. They won't even remember he rode up with them, hopefully. Turning away from the closing doors, he scanned the the hallways room doors as he walked to where V said Shamel's room would be. _Last door on the left. Room 36. Easy._

The door was in front of him now. All he had to do was knock. Shamel knew he was coming, he'd already cashed in his favor and payed V, Shamel literally couldn't refuse his request in any way. He'd done _everything_ he could think of to get this meeting. All he had to do was knock.

 _Do it_

 _Just knock_

 _Even if the papers wrong. It doesn't matter_

 _You'll be fine. None of this matters_

 _Knock on the door_

 _Just knock on the door_

 _Knock_

 _ **Knock**_

 _ **Knock!**_

 _ **KNOCK ON THE DOOR!**_

"Well hello cutie. You wouldn't happen to be who I'm waiting for, would you?"

 _The door was open_

* * *

Tsuna knows the second Shamel gets the results back. It's in the way his spine straightens to a painful looking degree. It's in the way he casually keeps talking, never once missing a moment of their conversation. The one they both know means nothing now.

But it's only when he turns towards him that Tsuna can see that he was _right_. It's in the way Shamel's hands won't leave the paper. The way he's now the complete focus of the Hitman. But he was _right_. This entire time, everything he'd based his dreams on, his last hopes on. All his desperation, the way he _knew_ from the moment he heard, the refusal for it to be anything else. He was _**right**_.

 _Reborn was his father._

He had a father now. A strong one, a scary one. One who would never let mama forget to feed him or let the school throw his things away. One who would love to see him when he got home, who would take him to play and wouldn't let the other kids hurt him. He had a father. A dad! Everything was finally going right!

 _…..But Shamel hadn't stopped staring at him._

Maybe now wasn't the best time to get high off of success. With the look in Shamel eyes, maybe now was the _perfect_ the time to make a Tactical retreat. That intensity could not be good for his remaining freedom. He had things to do before he went looking for his dad. Having the man come here before he was ready would be equally as bad. Very, very bad.

Thank god, Shamel still thought he was some orphan girl. Otherwise, the next part of this plan would be a hell of a lot harder to accomplish.

Setting his mug of hot chocolate down, Tsuna tried to look innocently hopeful. By the way Shamel flinched back, he wasn't very successful. _(First off. Rude. He made an adorable little girl, thank you! No wonder women didn't like him…)_

"So…. do you think it would be possible to find him? Mama isn't… Mama's fine! It's just…I mean. I want to maybe meet him first, before having to go back to Mama. If I can." Putting in _just enough_ weight behind those words is hard. But Shamel had to think he was willing to stay still long enough for him to leave the room. And if the only way to do that was throwing Mama under the bus for the greater good. _(His greater good anyways)_. So be it. Sacrifices had to be made.

 _(But seriously this guy was weird. The moment he'd mentioned not wanting to go back home he'd paled, like, 14 shades whiter than he already was. He even looked vaguely sick now. What type of Hitman was he if he couldn't even deal with a little child abuse? Fucking weird.)_

Still much paler than normal Shamel seemed to find the inner strength to respond. "Yeah. I… I know _Rebo-_ your _fath-_ Your _da-_ Him. I know _him_." Even if it wasn't the most coherent of responses.

"That's great! Oh thank you so much sansei! If this wouldn't have worked out I don't know what I would have done next!" Even with that peppiness Shamel still seemed shaken. _(Peppy cute girls are supposed to be his favorite right? What's even wrong with him?)_

Shamel got up quickly from his lounge across from him, barely even spared him a glance as he power walked through the door of the master bedroom.  
"It's fine. I need to make a call real quick, alright sweetheart? You just.. just eat some cookies. Or something ok? I'll be right back."

Aaaaaaand he was gone. Time to book it.

* * *

The moment the wooden door clicked shut behind him, Shamel slide down the door. He would hear if the girl tried to leave, and since this was the only other room in the suit he was renting there was nowhere else she could go. All he needed was 10 minutes to himself, just a little bit of time to freak the fuck out, without scaring her into running. Then he had to call Reborn.

Oh god.

 _Reborn had a kid._

 **Reborn** had a fucking kid.

Reborn had a **_FUCKING KID._**

A cute little girl with his spiky hair and his weird ass eyes. Fuck, those _were_ Reborn's eyes staring out at him from a cute face, weren't they? A cute face with black eyes. A cute face with Reborn's weird ass black eyes that just fucking _implied_ that she was getting abused at home.

 _(How bad was it? He couldn't see any bruises but those could be hidden under clothes. Emotional abuse was the hardest to find unless you knew someone well so he wouldn't be able to tell that right away.  
Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck!_

 _What if it's sexual? Oh god, Reborn would lose his goddamn mind if it was sexual. She was what 8? It couldn't be. He really hopes it's not. This town would have no defense against that man if this poor girl was getting sexually abused.)_

Hell, fuck the town. _He_ would have no defense if Reborn found out he let her go back ifhe even _suspected_ somthing _might_ be happening. Reborn may have been a cold man, the best in the business of killing but he was also a Mafia Man to his core. He didn't love often but when he did love, it was blistering in intensity.

You didn't touch his friends. You didn't touch his allies. You didn't touch his hat or his Lizard. Hell, you didn't fucking touch his woman of the week, unless you wanted an early death.

But Family? Not Famiglia, not the Mafia family you make through blood and shared hard times and not the ones you have to deal with because of who your allied with but actual Blood Family? The ones that are yours just by birth alone?

The world would turn to _ash_ before you could touch them.

Staring at the floor in between his knees he knew with certainty that this little bitty girl, this tiny horrifyingly significant being with Reborn's eyes and hair, so deceptively small and weak looking, held his life in her hands.

She held the whole of the Mafia's life in her hands. So many people could die if she asked for it. _Would_ die if she asked for it. She would be his Number One priority the **moment** Reborn knew she existed. Nothing would surpass her in his eyes and no one would be spared if she was ever hurt.

 **It might be better for everyone if he killed her now, before Reborn ever found out.**

* * *

 _~ And fame is what you make of it ~_  
 _And when your whole wide world's a stage_  
 _How much can you flaunt it?_  
 _(How much can you flaunt it?)_  
 _How much do you want it?_  
 _There's something about the_  
~ _Green_ ~


	5. And then they build monuments to you

_Paris. 6 months later._

Shamel is sitting at an outside cake shop. His eyes are sunken in, he's lost weight. A beautiful woman passes by him, on the way towards the front door of the store, he doesn't even twitch as her perfume surrounds him. His expression is distant. Something terrible seems to be weighing the normally cheerful man down.

"What did you do." A dreaded voice is behind him. One he's been dodging since that cursed day. That the tone is teasing makes something in what little he has left of his heart curl up in agony.

 _(Is this the end?)_

He turns woodenly. All fight is gone, he has nothing left to give. He knows Reborn has been playing with him these last 5 months. All the chases, the split second misses, the terror. It's only because Reborn has no idea why Shemel has been trying to dodge him. The man is a sadist through and through. But Shemel is tried in mind, in body and in soul.

 _(This is the end.)_

"I killed your daughter."

His executioner seems to relax before him. Nothing so common as tensing up in surprise for The Great Reborn. But those horrible eyes don't even try to hide the suspicious connections that his words invoke.

 _(Shamel had never killed an innocent child before that day. He'd killed children Hitman before. But they had always lost their innocence by then. Always been trying to kill him first, or they'd fought whenever he himself was a child Hitman. But he'd never killed a child that knew almost nothing about their world before. One who had came to him looking for her father. For love. For protection._

 _There are more reasons than just fear of Reborn that those horrific, unique eyes haunt him now)_

"I don't have a daughter, Trident Shamel."

This is his last chance to change his answer. He knows it is. Reborn didn't _want_ to kill him, they've been friends long enough that he can tell that, at least. He knows Reborn would be completely willing to ignore this entire situation. He didn't know about the girl before, hadn't had any time to process. Didn't know her age, or her name. She was only an idea. If Shemel just changed his answer, he knows Reborn would be able to ignore all the implications as well. She was already dead. What's the point of killing his friend when it already happened? It's done.

But Shamel _can't_ change it.

For the same reason that Reborn would be willing to forget this ever happened because of who had done it, he can't forget that it was he who did it. Because Reborn was his friend. Someone who trusted him. Reborn had so many enemies. So many people willing to betray him, just for the _chance_ to surpass him. The Mafia was a harsh world to live in, but it was even harsher for traitors.

He couldn't continue to live like this.

"You did."

Shamel is one of the few people in the world who knew Reborn well enough to read him. Could see the agony when he realized what Shelmal had _done_. What he had _admitted_ to doing. They both knew there was no other way out now. Someone would have to die.

Reborn was The Greatest Hitman in the World. The Strongest Sun. Allies with the Vongola, the Strongest Mafia Family in the World. He had the backing of the Strongest Seven.

Trident Shamel was a high level freelance assassin/Hitman. A Mafia Doctor. A relatively strong Mist. Allied to Reborn but no one else.

They both knew which way this would go. The only way it could go.

But maybe….

He'd stop seeing both their eyes _(One so reluctantly, dangerously betrayed. The other so desperately raging out at the sheer unfairness of the world)_ after this.

Anything would be better than seeing both pairs of those eyes like that, for the rest of his life.

* * *

 _In reality._

Immediately slamming his head into the floor between his knees for even having that _dangerously_ stupid thought, Shamel came back himself very quickly. That little day dream slamming the reality of everything back into high speed.

Reborn would kill him. Well no, guilt would kill him first and then Reborn would kill him when he couldn't live with himself anymore. And then he'd probably kill the Hibari's for not noticing what happened and the Vongola for _**also not noticing**_. Many people would die. Probably more then if she stayed alive ( _?_ ) the point being. Bad idea. Possibly, apocalyptically bad idea. Most likely worst idea he's had in the last decade.

He had to calm down. It was just a little girl. He liked little girls _(oh god not like that fuck Reborn can read minds does he have like a ping notification thing when he needs to know something? Oh god I'm so sorry that's not what I meant fuck)_ they were sweet, liked playing dolls and flowers. Little girls weren't **scary**.

 _(But it's Reborn's daughter there had to be something wrong with her. Maybe she took after her mother?)_

It would be fine. All he had to do was go out there. Find out who her mom was, try to see if she was getting abused _(oh god)_ call Reborn ( **oh god** ) and keep her trapped long enough for him to get here. Easy.

Shamel took a deep breath. Climbing to his feet he straightened up his shirt, checked in the mirror beside the door that his hair wasn't insane from running his fingers through it and tried very hard to tone down his wild eyes. Scaring her would not be good. For anyone.

Throwing the door open he walked into the room with a huge ( _hopefully_ ) friendly smile on his face. And stopped.

She wasn't there.

He panicked. There was no other word to describe the scrambling, desperate way he looked in and under everything in his hotel room. In the bathroom ( _after knocking hurriedly to see if she would answer_ ) behind the huge curtains shielding the windows, the balcony, the closet, the little kitchen, in all of the shelves. Everywhere he could think a child could hide. But she was gone.

 _(He should have known. Of course, she would take after Reborn. Why would anyone want to make his life any easier?)_

If Tsuna would have been there at the time he couldn't have stayed hidden if his life had depended on it. There's nothing funnier than a highly competent, extremely dangerous man running around in sheer panic after a little girl. _Nothing_.

Unfortunately for Shemel. _(And Tsuna but that's a story for later)_ He'd lost him. Asking the hotel staff if they'd seen her got him nowhere, as they'd all seen a little girl but the people she'd gotten on the elevator with swore that they had no idea what anyone was talking about.

And with him continuing to look for a little _girl_ , Tsuna would stay lost for a good long while. In Shamel's terror over finding and _**losing**_ Reborn's child he made a decision that would fuck over a lot of people in the long run. If only he wouldn't have been such a coward certain things wouldn't have happened, certain people would have been looking and waiting for a child they knew about.

Instead….

Trident Shamel decided _not_ to call Reborn that day. For fear of what would happen to him when Reborn found out the situation, Trident Shamel can be held to blame for a lot of the tragedy that was just being to unfold.

* * *

 _~ I'm gonna come out fighting ~_

 _There's a story in my veins, with scars at every page_

 _It's written on my face, I'm a proud survivor_

 _Staring in the mirror, I'm not holding back the tears_

 _All the hurt that brought me here only takes me higher_

 _I'm gonna let you know_

 _~ I'm not ready to fall ~_

* * *

( _AN uh. This is also because of Panda. O.O; just. Um. I guess those reviews really do it for me? Please stop. I'm tired. (Just Kidding lol I love them a lot.)_


	6. Absens haeres non erit

~ ' _Cause I bite my tongue for no wizard ~_ _  
I fight with fire ina snow blizzard  
I tear that emerald city down, ain't no sitting down  
With no cold lizards like huh_

 _It's wiz business, that's a silent I  
And I'll be silent the day I see motherfunkin' monkeys fly  
~ They flyin' now? Hmm ~_

* * *

Escaping from the hotel room is both much _easier_ than Tsuna thought it would be and incredibly difficult. For one, V had decided to be helpful in the most annoying way possible. They'd made sure the room they'd booked for Shamal had an attached balcony with the suit beside them.

The annoying part of this 'help' was that it wasn't _quite_ as attached as the hotel made it sound on the website. They were very close but they were also _100 feet high off the fucking ground._

Another reason it was so easy to both grab the test sheet and high tail it out the window, was that the Hitman had locked himself in the master bedroom and from the hyperventilating sounds coming through the door, he wouldn't be coming out any time soon

Ehhh still better not to test fate and the highly trained ears of a professional killer, ( _he was a killer wasn't he?What the fuck was he thinking meeting him here alone?! What was he even doing?!)_ by trying the highly clickable door and just take the window as planned.

But it was just. so. high.

Opening the balcony door was an exercise in determination, actually stepping out into the wind and cold of the night was petrifying.

But he had to do this.

There was no other way out, Shamal would hear him if he tried the door, and V had explicitly stated that this was the only help he'd be getting from them, until he got out of the hotel room. He had to do this himself.

No one was waiting to help him, and he had no other options. If he didn't leave and got caught it would be entirely his own fault.

Climbing on to the metal of the balcony with the test clenched between his teeth and his dress whipping around his ankles almost forces him into backing out. But it had already been close to 10 minutes and no matter who Shemel was talking to it couldn't take much longer then then that, despite how weird the man seemed to be even he wouldn't trust someone he didn't know in his private rooms and not expect them to snoop.

God, but this was so high up. There wasn't much length separating the two balconies, only a few feet. Too far to step over but a short jump and it would be easily reached but he couldn't even see the people on the ground easily. Would he die if he fell? Would anyone care if he did? Would they look into why he did it if they thought he jumped? Or would the town just happily forget he ever existed at all?

He couldn't do it. He could _not_ do this. He'd take his chances with the front door and out running Shamal if he had to. He could probably take the stairs faster than the bigger man could and if he got grabbed he'd make such a scene that Shamel would have to let him go. Good plan. Fuck this noise.

Wait. Was that the door behind him?

Oh fuck

- **Oknoworneverohmygodwhatamidoingherehowisthismylifefuckeverything** -

Tsuna jumped.

His shins banged into the metal of the other balcony's edge as he scrambled to grab hold of anything he could in reach. It wasn't enough though, Fuck he was slipping, there was nothing there to grab, his hands were to sweaty, he was going to _**die**_ \- _no he wanted to meet his dad! This was so unfai-_

Suddenly the back of Tsuna's dress was yanked up as the door behind him slammed open. He spilled onto the floor of the balcony and froze. He couldn't breath. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his ears, there was a soft body below his that was a frozen as he was, it had to be the one that grabbed him.

When Shemel slammed the door shut behind them, they both let out different feeling sighs. His was of relief, thank fuck. Shamal hadn't seen them, he'd escaped with both his life and freedom intact. They others was of pain. Apparently when you were as skinny as V was having an 8 year old ( _no matter how unnaturally small)_ land on you after pulling them up from dead drop weight was incredibly painful. Before he can say anything, be it a thank you or just a giant question mark on what the fuck just happened, he was being pushed to the side.

Rolling with the moment he softly hit the edge of the couch a little ways into the room and just breathed.

He'd almost died.

There was no denying that. He'd almost died. If V hadn't grabbed him when he did, he would have slipped right off the edge. Best case scenario he'd have been able to grab the metal bars underneath the balconey and waited for Shamal to either notice and save him, or he'd have lost his grip and fallen. All the way down until he was nothing more then a big, red splat. No more looking for Reborn, no more avoiding the Hibari's, no more plans for his life.

Nothing. It all would have been gone. Everything he'd worked for and struggled against would have just meant...nothing.

Tsuna is rocked out of his morbid thoughts by a solid punch to the stomach. He wheezed and tried not to swallow the the paper in his mouth at the unexpected pain. Spitting it out beside him, he tried to ignore both the name he could see smuged from the corner of his eye, and the disappointment he can semi-read beneath the hood of V's cape.

"Mou, you owe me for that." God, he didn't want to deal with them right now. Couldn't he have his momentary freak out alone?

V was an odd.. person. They wore a full body clock year round, their hair was an abnormal shade of purple _( that can't have been natural right? Like yeah, his eyes were weird but at least they where on the naturally occurring slide of the animal kingdom and not fucking purple.)_ and they had actual face tattoos. Like the ones you see on T.V! And they always, always, demanded money for anything they did. They were just super weird all around.

But he hadn't been able to get rid of them once he'd bumped into them one night after being chased by his bullies. At the time they'd been with someone else, another weird person with an honest to god tiara on his head, and the most bloodthirsty grin he'd ever seen or _known_ about. He's tried to rush past them but V had caught a glimpse of his face and given chase.

It had been _hours_ before Tsuna finally made it back home after being extra sure he'd lost both the weirdos that had taken up the hunt _and_ his bullies. Only to find them in his room, going over everything and trying to pry open the floor bored of his closet. He'd been so startled that he'd ended up tackling them bodily, before trying to run away. Again.

He didn't make it far for some reason and he still, to this day, doesn't understand why. Every time he'd try to break for the window, it seemed to get farther and farther away. Recognizing a fruitless venture when he ran head first into one, he tried to attacking. _Again_.

And that also didn't work. **Again**.

He didn't know how ( _yet_ ) but he was fucking sure, V or as they had introduced themselves, Viper, had somehow cheated.

Realizing he wouldn't be going anywhere until whoever this person was let decided to him go. Tsuna tucked himself into a corner with as many things as he could (f _or coverage_ ) and decided to be as difficulty hostile as he could possiblely get away with, without either dying or invoking grievous bodily harm.

V had _not_ made a good impression when the first words out of their mouth was to tell him he looked like a ridiculously cute bird all ruffled up like that.

It had gone down even faster after they'd compared him to his dad. He was nothing like that man, father or not.

But slowly, as time moves on and they refused to leave him alone, he grew used to them. Maybe even appreciative. They had to be his closest friend really, even if that was beyond pathetic. Even if they liked to be annoyingly enigmatic about _why_ they even put up with him at all when he couldn't really afford their fees.

But even if they were his closest friend, he would not allow them _to_ _fucking lecture him._

"No I don't. I didn't ask for your help, you did that with your own free will." A muscle in V's jaw twitched and Tsuna got ready to dodge back, he was sandwiched between the couch and V themselves but if he had to he could roll over to the other side of couch ( _hopefully_ ) without getting caught. Making it out the door would be even easier unless it was locked.

"Stop doing that." Their voice wavered slightly before easing back into the same apathetic tone they normally used.

Tsuna's head shot up warily, he hadn't been doing anything?

"I'm not going to hit you. Again, anyways." They turned around to head to the tiny kitchen while Tsuna tried to halt his rushing blood. He couldn't see them anymore but he could hear the sound of a tea set.

"I know that!" Stumbling to his feet, Tsuna tried to steady himself from the left over adrenaline. Ugh, everything was still so shaky. "That wasn't what I was doing ok?" He wasn't scared of her. He knew she was one of the few people who didn't seem affected by what that man had done.

He wasn't scared of her.

He wasn't.

...

That paper though was beyond terrifying. What would V think if he told them?

* * *

 _~ But don't believe everything you read ~_

 _'Cause I won back down and I won't concede_  
 _Witch came through first, what more you need_  
 _Yeah I see house bitch where's the deed_  
 _That bitch is gravity and I'm defying her_

 _~ Tell that bitch wizard I like his cowardly lion fur ~_


	7. Aegroto dum anima est, spes est

_•~~•_

 _~ Now she gotta a six year old ~_  
 _Trying to keep him warm_  
 _Trying to keep all the cold_

 _When he looks her in the eyes_

 _~ He don't know he's safe when she says ~_

•~~•

Tsuna chanced a glance towards where he knew V was at, the tea wouldn't take long at all to make but he still didn't know what to do about the results.

( _And whether_ _or not he should tell them )_

On one hand, V; closest friend, helpful, annoying, unshakable.

On the other…

V was an information broker. They sold things people wanted to know and things that people did **_not_** want other people to know, for the highest price.

If he told them about Reborn would they run off? Would they find Reborn? Sell him the information? He didn't think so, but he just didn't know.

Not for sure. Not for certain.

Not enough to tell them right then.

Tsuna grabbed the slightly damp-in-places paper and shoved it down the front of his dress. He'd tell V eventually, it didn't really matter right now since he wasn't planning on looking for Reborn ant time soon. ( _yet_ )

V glided out of the kitchenette with a small tray of tea in their hands, hood as low as it normally was. They set the tray down before handing a clay cup to Tsuna and sitting down themselves.

All was quiet for a moment.

"Tell me more stories about you and _Rinnovo_ , _Madrina_." The flamiler names rolled off his tongue clumsily. No matter how many times he tried to speak V's native language it always sounded as if he'd just started learning it. Italian was so much harder to learn than what it'd seemed like, when they'd first offered.

But _Reborn_ spoke Italian. Was, actually, Italian. ( _Did that mean he was Italian? Weird thought.)_ If he wanted to ever actually try and find his dad, he'd have to know the language. No matter how much it sucked to learn.

Viper's hood tilted his way slightly, before turning to look back at the tea set. " Mou, which one?"

Tsuna wiggled around to get comfortable, his back to the arm of the couch with his cup, while he thought. They must be pretty relieved at not getting caught by Shamel, if they were willing to tell him a story without even a pretense of reluctance.

But which one did he want to hear this time?

"Tell me more about the time you both had to make it seem like that one diamond was cursed. The big one." That was always a hilarious story, since as far as he knew it was still on going.

Viper sighed, Tsuna had already made them tell this story dozens of time since he'd first found out the most famously cursed jewel in the world was actually an ongoing job of their special 'position' _(the one they always refused to tell him about!)_ and had been since the famous beheading of Marie Antoinette of France.

"Mou, alright. But you better not move before I'm done or I'll charge you 500 yen in inconvenience fees."

Tsuna took a sip of his tea and settled in to listen _(and comment. Seriously had Viper really needed to 'Curse' the mirror in the house to kill him, just because the guy who'd owned the jewel at the time had decided to cut it down a little? "Mou, think of the lost profits, you brat.")_ they had a few hours to kill until Shamel fully cleared out and it was safe to leave the hotel room.

"- _Rinnovo_ , that idiot had the nerve to flirt with the museum attendant while we were waiting for the actual buyer to come back, I-"

When had he turned around? He'd been laying against the arm of the couch before hadn't he?

"- he sold it! He _sold_ the stupid thing we'd been obligated to kill the owner of. Now it was _extra_ , _unpaid_ work just to find-"

Viper was very cosy to lay against when they weren't pushing you off. Their clock was so much fuzzier then he'd thought it would be to.

"-by the time we got back it'd been stolen, _again,_ by the buyer from earlier. His daughter, the one _Rinnovo_ had flirted with-"

Having Vipers hand running through his hair was really nice. Had anyone ever done that before? He didn't think so. But it was really, very nice, he hoped they wouldn't stop.

"-an air balloon. That was our great escape. A giant, green air balloon. One that had a hole the size of a _donkey_ in the side, how exactly-"

He hoped Viper didn't mind if he fell asleep while they were telling their story. It was just.. their voice was really soothing. And the hand from before hadn't stopped running through his hair, yet.

"- If he hadn't had the diamond hidden somewhere _unspeakable_ on his person, I would have left him there to get eaten by the feral cats. I'd have felt no remorse for it, since it was entirely his fault and I _told_ him this would happen-"

Sometimes, he wished Viper would be his Mama. They were so much nicer than Nana was. Maybe after he found his dad he'd ask them? They'd probably agree if he paid them enough right?

* * *

Viper glanced down at Tsuna when she felt his breathing slow to an even rhythm that indicated deep sleep. She'd told that story about her and Reborn ( _Known_ _only_ _as_ _Rinnovo_ _to_ _Tsuna_ , _in_ _her_ _stories_ ) having to kill the entirety of a wildlife sanctuary after getting stuck there, in nothing but their underwear while hunting for a man who had stolen the Hope Diamond. ( _which_ _had_ _been_ _their_ ' _actual_ ' _job_ _until_ _Reborn_ _had_ _let_ _his_ _dick_ _guild_ _him_ _into_ _the_ _type_ _of_ _Chaos_ _only_ _he_ _could_ _create_ )

Taking a deep breath Viper finally let herself relax. She didn't necessarily feel guilty about drugging Tsuna with sleeping pills in his tea, but nor did she feel particularly proud of it. She _knew_ how he got whenever he'd done something truly stupid.

 _(Viper had rarely ever wanted to physically fight people in her life (Reborn had always been there for that), but watching the way Tsuna had learned how to deal with situations out of his control, made her yearn to beat the everloving shit out of somthing. His mother, the entire town, fuck, she'd even take Fon on behalf of the Hibari's if she could get away with it._

 _But Tsuna..._

 _He'd always either break down completely, disassociate himself from the situation for hours on end, until it no longer bothered him emotionally or become so overwhelmingly confrontational about the situation, that he'd do something else even more stupid, just to show that it hadn't affected him._

 _Both of the reactions were unhealthy, and if she could post pone them, or hopefully, completely derail that thought process completely, she would._

 _Always )_

But seeing wide, black eyes terrified out of their mind while his hands swung wildly trying to grasp onto something, anything had just about made her heart stop. Seeing him slipping, the tears she didn't think he even knew about falling down his face had kick started her into action, she'd grabbed onto the back of his dress so hard she wouldn't be surprised if he had bruising around his neck later on.

The Mist Flames she'd shoved over them both on instinct after hauling him over the side would have been able to cover the entirety of the hotel if she'd wanted. Shamel could have been a much, _much_ better Mist and he'd have never known they'd been there.

In the quiet moment when she'd held him, just after Shamel had slammed the door shut behind him, she'd realized she was in much to deep.

It had all started out as a favor.

She _knew_ Reborn had no idea he had a child wandering around in the world. He'd have never let what happened to Tsuna continue if he'd known.

So no, Reborn had no idea.

But she couldn't tell him either.

For one thing, Tsuna was the 'son' of the Young Lion of Vongola. Even if that loud-mouthed imbecile did that seem to care enough about his civilian 'family' to put up protections, she couldn't just take him. _Someone_ from that side of the world would notice. Not to even mention what they'd do if they thought someone had stolen one of Primos descendants.

Because she knew that's _exactly_ what Reborn would do, if he found out the situation here. He'd take Tsuna and not give a single ounce of attention to whatever anyone else would say about it. If he didn't just kill the naysayers outright.

It would be War.

She knew who would win, of course. But she had friends ( _maybe_ ) in the Varia. And they would be the first called to the front lines.

And then they would be dead because Reborn was not a merciful man.

( _She knew that better then anyone)_

Better to just watch the situation unfold and help the kid find Reborn himself. He'd seemed pretty happy to begin with, if not unnaturally comprehending for a 6 year old. So she'd left him alone, coming back to check on him every could of weeks when she could. It was all idle curiosity at that point. The kid was happy, he was smart so he'd probably realize the next time his 'dad' came to vist that he looked nothing like him, and start to investigate.

But then the Sealing had happened.

She'd only found out about it a few weeks after the fact. She'd been busy and hadn't been able to visit to spy on Reborn's spawn when they kid had run right into her and Bel.

The shock of no longer feeling the Sky Flames that used to just _ooze_ out of the kid has been harsh. On an almost instinctive level she'd given chase. That had also been the first time she'd ever let Tsuna see her following him.

Seeing a mini, ( _much_ ) cuter version of Reborn with the same creepy eyes, growling at her in a nest of hastily thrown together items that were supposed to _somehow,_ keep her out, had been the start of her digging.

After talking to the kid for the first time, she'd done some investigating. In the few hours she'd spent with him, Tsuna had looked pretty miserable. Even alone in what was _supposed_ to be his space, he'd still seemed on edge. Finding out what his life had turned into after the Sealing ( _Damn_ _the_ _entitlement of old men, to hell and back)_ had been eye opening in the worst of ways.

Teachers either ignored or belittled him, the students couldn't seem to leave him alone, and the Harmony that Tsuna and Fon's **_extremely_** Cloudy nephew had been forming had twisted into some bizarre form of discord, with the two unable to function together but the Cloud unwilling to relinquish his chosen Sky.

It was a huge landmine of a situation that was just waiting to blow, but then Fon _himself_ had happened and turned a simple _(if potentially deadly_ ) battle into an all out Cold War, between Sky and Cloud.

 _(And that was going to be a headache and a half when everything came to light. A fight between Fon and Reborn would be like two different eventualities fighting each other._

 _Fon wouldn't win but Reborn wouldn't either and everyone else around them **not** Arcobleno would lose. Horribly.) _

She'd only dug herself deeper into caring about Reborn's little goblin-child when she'd decided to speed up the process of Tsuna looking for Reborn, by planting a completely forged paternity test in Nana's closet a few months after meeting him.

But just now.. Seeing Tsuna go to such lengths just to escape Shamel, to keep his independence until _he'd_ decided he wanted to find Reborn, had been the end for her.

She'd found the bottom of the hole she'd started digging months ago.

Viper let her head thunk back against the couch, continuing to let her mind run away with her wouldn't help anyone.

She'd give Tsuna a few hours of uninterrupted sleep then send him home. His determined Cloud was probably waiting at the edge of town right then, standing watch until the Sky he wanted, returned.

She'd have to do something about that too, wouldn't she?

 _Ugh_.

She'd never wanted kids before this. How did she end up finding two of the most messed up ones?

 _•~~•_

 _~ She tells him "ooh love" ~_

 _No one's ever gonna hurt you, love_  
 _I'm gonna give you all of my love_  
 _Nobody matters like you_

 _She tells him "your life ain't gonna be nothing like my life_

 _You're gonna grow and have a good life_  
 _~ I'm gonna do what I've got to do"~_

* * *

Notes:

guys. This was supposed to be out on the 25th but my brain went, 'no. Let's write the mid fic clif hanger instead and make it PuRfECT.

So sorry lol


	8. Audaces fortuna iuvat

•~~•

 _~ She works the night, by the water ~_  
 _She's gonna stray, so far away from her father's daughter_

 _She just wants a life for her baby_  
 _All on her own, no one will come_

 _~ She's got to save him ~_

•~~•

Waking up to an empty hotel room wasn't a surprise to Tsuna, but it was disappointing. He knew Viper was an important person somewhere, that they always made time to visit him but could get called away at any moment.

He'd learned not to make a big deal of it, after seeing how very guilty it made them. Even if they were annoying most of the time, seeing how Vipers shoulders drooped after his whining was something he never wanted to put them through.

He _knew_ how hard it was for them to leave him on his own, how responsible they felt for him. Even if he didn't understand _why_ they felt that way, he'd stopped doubting his _knowing_ stuff a long time ago. And with someone like Viper, who hid their face constantly, spoke in monotone most of the time, and had such subtle body language, _knowing_ stuff and trusting his _knowing_ was right, was crucial in understanding them.

Still though….

It was never fun to wake up alone. Tsuna sat up and rubbed at his collarbone absently while he looked around the hotel room with blank eyes. The curtains were still mostly closed but he could tell it was almost the middle of the night, he'd have to make it back to town before morning or the Hibari's would come after him again.

When he went to climb off the couch a couple stacks of colored paper fell off his lap and fluttered to the ground. Picking them up, he'd realized it was a note from V, and a _huge_ amount of money.

 **Holy shit.**

Keeping a tight-gripped hand on the money while he read the note, Tsuna couldn't help the small smile that he just knew was covering his face.

 _Brat,_

 _I'v got some stuff to do before I leave, (no it's none of your business) so whenever you wake up, get out of the hotel. Shamel's gone by now , off to drink himself into oblivion probably, and you'll be noticed if you stay._

 _I'm including your allowance in this since I won't be there to give it to you next week, put it with the rest. I'm also adding a slight bonus since your job with Shamel went off without a hitch._

 _From what I heard when he was screaming at the front desk, he's still looking for a little girl and refuses to tell anyone why. Good job._

 _Your bag is in the bathroom. Change and burn the dress. NOT IN THE HOTEL ROOM. I'd have to pay for the damages if the fire got out of hand (and it would you little pyromaniac), and that would definitely be coming out of your allowance._

 _Be good and don't get caught,_

 _Madrina._

Viper's handwriting was a impersonal and practical as it always was, but the words made something in Tsuna's chest feel warm. They didn't have to write anything, didn't have to tell him why they weren't here when he woke up.

Most of the people he knew wouldn't even factor in Tsuna's reactions or feelings into what they would or wouldn't be doing. That they had, was normal for Viper but unusual to him, even if they always did stuff like this.

They'd even given him his allowance early, because they knew they wouldn't be here when they'd have normally given it to him. And a bonus! Viper _loved_ money. They were cheap to the extreme, _(at least that's what all the rumors he'd heard about them say)_ were stingy to the core.

But they'd never been that way towards Tsuna. Anytime he was with them, ever since that first time meeting, they'd _always_ paid for everything. Lunch when they were out and he was hungry, clothes when they'd noticed his shoes were to small, supplies for school when his were broken, a stuffed Mimikyu plush that he'd really needed one day, anything, everything.

 _(He'd been so angry that day. The other kids had stolen his stuffed newt Tasma, that V had bought when he'd told them that Mama never heard him, when he'd asked for it to sleep with._

 _The kids had torn it up right in front of him, told him it was gross, and that newts were slimy before ripping its head off and throwing her in the river. He'd tried to follow  
Tasma down stream but it was just to fast, and the rocks were so slippery. He'd lost sight of her. Everything had crashed down on him then, how mean the other kids were, how Baby Hibari was always hitting him, how mama wouldn't tell him about his dad. Just..everything._

 _Then, like a superhero, Madrina had been there with both soggy ends of Tasma. He'd been so scared they'd be mad. He'd let their gift get hurt, after promising to take care of her. He'd told them the whole story, about how he'd been hungry so he'd left the house to go get something to eat with his allowance they'd given him at the park, he'd brought Tasma with him because he didn't know if she'd want food or not, either. Then the kids had seen him and everything had gone bad. But they hadn't been mad, not at him anyways. He_ _ **knew**_ _they were mad but he also_ _ **knew**_ _it wasn't at him, it was a new kind of knowing he'd never felt before.._

 _Then before he'd known what was happening, he'd been swept up into her billowing cloak and they were in the shopping district._

 _He'd been very confused on how they'd gotten there so fast, but before he could ask, they'd swept back into the toy store where they'd bought Tasma weeks ago._

 _He couldn't see Madrina's face but the voice they'd talked to him with had been very soft. They'd told him to pick another plushie until they could fix Tasma. He'd told them he could wait, he didn't need two plushies and V had tsked and pushed him towards the plushy side of the store anyways._

 _Tsuna had left with a Mimikyu plushie after much insistence from V, when they'd asked why a Pokémon and not another newt, he'd told them that this Pokémon reminded him of them. Since they both had hoods but didn't want to show what they looked like, even though they were very nice, and only wanted to make friends._

 _Viper had been very quiet after that, but had walked hand in hand with him until they got home. After he'd said goodbye they had disappeared when he wasn't looking._

 _Later that night he'd seen the money to replace what he'd used and a fixed Tasma laying on his bed._

 _It had turned out to be a pretty good day.)_

It didn't matter what it was or what they were doing, if he needed something, actually needed something they always paid. The one time he'd asked them why. _(not bringing up their reputation, by the way. He wasn't that curious)_

Why did they pay for him all the time?

They'd looked at him like he was stupid. But Viper had answered him truthfully, if in that annoyingly blunt way they had.

They told him that he was a child. Before he'd been able to drag up his offended outrage at them patronizing him, they'd continued. He was a child and they were an adult.

It was their _job_ to pay for him. Since they'd taken responsibility for him, if he needed something it was only _right_ that they pay for it. It was offensive and _wrong_ to make a child pay for their own things, and that any person who made a kid think they weren't worthy enough to buy things for, or that they didn't deserve to have their needs cared about, deserved to be shot.

They were the adult. The person responsible for him. Of course, they'd pay for him. Anything else would have been unacceptable.

He… hadn't known how to respond so they'd both let the matter drop. But Tsuna _knew_ they'd meant every word they'd said to him. In Vipers mind it was _their_ responsibility.

 _(Even if it never seemed to be anyone else's)_

But they'd never given him a _bonus_ before! And it was a _lot_.

Like, **Oh my fucking god, that's a lot of money,** a lot.

Added to his normal allowance of 11,273 yen, was an extra of **82,000** yen! That was… that was like, more than half of what he already had! Maybe more? He couldn't even remember right now.

Just...wow.

Viper had done this. Because they had been proud of him. He _knew_ it. He also _knew_ that's why they'd left before he'd woken up. They'd never been very good at accepting genuine gratefulness.

Tsuna saw the small drops of water on the note before he'd realized he was crying. Because crying was a stupid thing to do right now, he wasn't sad or scared. It was just a really great thing for Viper to do, when they didn't have to. Like lots of the things they did, that they didn't have to do for him.

He was really happy he knew them.

But right now was not the time for tears. He needed to leave, get his stuff, change and get back to town before the stupid Hibari's got agitated.

Tsuna rubbed his eyes to get rid of the left over tears, and carefully folded the note up into a small square. When he turned in the couch he could _just_ see his bag peeking out of the bathroom.

Stretching when he got up, Tsuna grabbed a piece of fruit he _knew_ Viper had left out in the hopes he'd eat it. Munching on the banana he quickly ripped the dress over his head, pushing it into the bag as he pulled his shor- pants out? He'd worn shorts when he'd gotten to the hotel though?

Ah. Another note.

 _Seriously brat, learn to pack better. It's freezing outside and you only brought shorts? No._

 _There's also a jacket. Wear it._

Ok. That explains that, he guessed?

Pulling on the pants, Tsuna rummaged around for his shirt. He'd hoped Viper hadn't decided that was also not acceptable, because he really liked that shirt. But nope, it was still there, pulling it on his hair fluffed up after going through the opening. Looking around for the promised jacket he ignored the mirror, since he didn't exactly want to see his red, tear stained eyes right then.

There it was, hanging on the back of the door. The outside was a nice brown leather, while fur lined both the hood and inside. It looked warm.

And was probably more expensive than he could have afforded, like, _ever_.

Putting the ( _probably outrageously expensive_ ) jacket on Tsuna took one last look around the hotel room. He had both notes Viper had left, the Paternity Test results that Shamel had made, his allowance ( _with the_ _ **holy shit**_ _money_ ) and his backpack. He seemed good?

Time to go then.

Tsuna left through the hotel room door, casually closing it behind him and walked towards the elevator. It was in the middle of the night so not many people would be up, and Viper had the key card, so he didn't have to talk to anyone.

Stepping into the elevator was slightly weird with no one there with him, even if he preferred it that way. The strange music that seemed to play in all elevators was absent.

Tsuna felt a premonition crawl up his spine.  
Something was going to go very, very wrong for him soon.

He _knew_ it.

Shit.

•~~•

Stepping out the front door of the hotel, Tsuna tried not to glance around nervously. Everything was _fine_ , Viper wouldn't have let him leave alone if something was happening. That they hadn't said anything, meant that nothing was wrong.

It would be _fine_.

All he had to do was get back into Hibari's territory. No matter how much he begrudged the guy, you didn't get attacked in his town at night.

Tsuna new that none of the Taxis or Uber's would be out right then, it was too late and the town to small. But the buses run every 20 minutes 24/7. The next one closest to him would come in 20 but the other one just slightly farther away would come in 10. If he ran, he could probably make the 10 minute one.

But…

Tsuna felt the shiver again, and knew he had to choose, _now_. Something was coming, and there was only one right answer but he didn't know which one!

The shiver came stronger this time, and Tsuna turned right and started sprinting. He'd take the father away bus stop, since it would be here sooner then the closer one.

He just really hoped he'd made the right decision.

 _•~~•_

 _~ Single mum, how're you doing out there? ~  
Facing the hard life, without no fear  
Just so you know that you really care  
'Cause any obstacle come, you're well prepared _

_And no, mama, you never shed tear  
'Cause you have to shed things year after year  
And you give the youth love beyond compare _

_~ You find his school fee and the bus fare ~_

 _•~~•_

 _(AN. Btw everyone seems to be under the impression that last chapter was the clif hanger. No. You poor, poor things. That was no where near the cliff hanger. Your all gonna hate me if that's the type you were expecting. -laughs nervously-_

 _I'v also added a good bit to the viper part last chapter because some people were asking about Hibari and some other stuff. So you might wanna reread last chapter. Idk. I'm not your mom. )_


	9. Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

_There's a reckonin' a-comin'_  
 _And it burns beyond the grave_  
 _Lead inside my belly_  
 _'cause my soul has lost its way_

* * *

Apparently whatever his _knowing_ stuff was warning him about wasn't going to give up without a fight. He could _still_ feel whatever was chasing him, not matter where he ran or how fast, the feeling seemed to always be _just_ behind him.

He had to be getting close to the bus stop right? Even with all the practice running from Hibari had given him, sprinting at full speed for more than a couple of seconds was almost impossible. His chest was burning in a way it hadn't in years, the rocky ground was digging into the solos of his old shoes, and his hands were all scraped up from using brick corners to slingshot his way past.

But his head was still _**screaming**_ in warning.

Whatever the fuck was behind him, would probably kill him if he didn't get the fuck out of there now.

But of course. The one timeTsuna needs it most, the **one time** he's counting on his body to just, _do what he says for fucking once_ , he trips.

Over nothing. No rocks, his shoelaces are tied, there isn't a bump in the sidewalk or a dip to make him miss judge the distance. Logic says in every way that there's literally no way in _hell_ he should trip.

But he does. He just.. Trips.

In the milliseconds it takes him to reach the ground, Tsuna knows. He doesn't _how_ , and he doesn't know _why_ but he knows this is somehow Hibari's fault. _And he was going to haunt that motherfucker for the rest of eternity._

The ground hurts.

It's got rocks, and dirt and probably glass and other horrors on it seeing how it's in the city. The ground hurts even more when you do a skidding slide over it after having tripped while going approximately 100 mph.

Good news is, he didn't die from meeting said horrible ground. Bad news is he can't hear anything other then the screaming alarms going off in his head about **still being chased**.

"Shit. Shitshitshit **fuck**!"

Tsuna scrambles to his knees frantically, trying to hopefully take off again when a hand grabbed onto his jacket, jerking him back into a very large, male chest. Before he can do much more then take a gulp of air, the hand, ( _which is almost bigger than his head, **what the fuck!?** )_ is covering the entirely of his lower jaw.

Swinging his feet is useless when he can't even touch the ground, since apparently he was being chased by a giant of all things, his arms are pinned by one large one around his middle.

He's trapped.

'Don't panic! Don't... Panic. Viper knows how to find me right? We've gone over kidnapping before. Just.. just calm down. I need to be calm.'

Tsuna knows that he's probably not going to get out of this by himself, knows that he's physically weak compared to them, but Viper had gone over this very situation at one point. He could do this. He knew what to do. He could do this.

First he needs to find out who they were and what they wanted. There are two of them, the big one holding him, and an average looking one talking on a phone. They both stood out slightly, neither seeming entirely Japanese though the normal looking one pulls it off better.

They had nice quality of clothing, though it looked shabby now. Like it hadn't been taken care of or hadn't been a priority in a while. They seemed to know each other alright, no true fighting even while they argued whether or not to test him here, or at the base. ( _Test what?_ ) No seeming tension between them. His knowing was silent right now but he'd bet they were family? Even though they didn't look anything alike. They also spoke Japanese fairly well, though the big guy had an accent like Vipers when they weren't paying attention.

Ok. Ok what else.

They were both kinda clean? The big guy didn't smell anyways. But they weren't wearing cologne either. They were taking the back ally's away from the street he'd been on, so they knew this place well. But they kept arguing over directions so probably not too well.

So what did he have?

Two Family ( _maybe_ ) members who had taken a hit in wealth -recently, but it wasn't because of the each other,( _maybe outside forces_?) despite this they took showers regularly so not destitute yet. Foreigners, but probably came to Namimori often enough to mostly know how to get around on the streets.

They also planned to test something on him, if the way they were stopping in another ally was any indication.

The Big one looked solemnly down at him before speaking. "Alright kid. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna let you down, and you're gonna put this little sheet on your tongue." He seemed to pause to make sure Tsuna was listening. When all he did was glare up at the man, he continued. "We're far enough away from anyone else that if you try to run we'll catch you. If you try to scream, I'll break your jaw. Alright?"

He wasn't kidding. This fucking Kiddnapping ass-hole would really break his jaw. It was all there in his bored eyes. Who were these people?

But Tsuna didn't really have a choice at the moment so he nodded. The big man seemed to assess him for a few seconds before dropping him.

Tsuna landed roughly on the floor, his hands and knees burned from the skid marks from his fall earlier, his jaw ached from being held onto so tightly.

Before he can do more then cough a couple times the average looking one is pulling him up again, gentler than the other man but still all business.

"Here. Stick this on your tongue then hold it out. Like this."

The average man ( _They need new names, I can't keep calling them Average Man and Big Man over and over again. Maybe Asshole and Fuckface?_ ) stuck his tongue out comically.

Tsuna just couldn't help himself.

"How old do you think I am? Fucking 4?" He knew he shouldn't have said that, he knew he shouldn't have fucking said that! Why did he say that?

Asshole did not seem amused either, if the punch to his already sore jaw was any indication. Tsuna can't even curl up to nurse at it before his head is jerked back up towards Asshole.

"Open your mouth."

Even though he doesn't want to, doesn't know what that strip of paper is, he opens it anyway. It hurt. Just opening his mouth enough to poke his tongue through hurt like hell.

When the slip of whatever is put in his tongue Tsuna is finally allowed to curl up into a ball.

He can't cry. Crying was stupid. It doesn't help anybody with anything and it always made you feel bloated afterwards. No one ever cared when you cried, or wanted to help when you cried so there just wasn't any reason for it.

That doesn't really matter much to his emotions, unfortunately. Even though Tsuna knows he can't help it, knows about stupid hormones and all that stuff that made you want to cry and how it never helped _anything_ , he still wanted to.

He wanted _Madrina_.

He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted Madrina to find him _now_ even though he knows it'll take a couple days for her to check in on him and find out he's missing.  
But his stupid emotions don't care, all he wanted was to cry and for _Madrina_ to come back now.

His reprieve comes to a brutal end when his head was jerked up again. It's Fuckface this time, unfortunately. He wants to spit at him, or maybe rip his ginormous hand away from his hair, but he can't since as soon as Fuckfaces eyes zero in on his tongue, they grow huge.

Tsuna knows shock when he sees it. ( _Being able to outmaneuver Hibari in a snit, be that from escaping from windows, climbing trees or just straight throwing others in his way, had earned him that exact look countless times.)_ But he has _no idea_ what could be so shocking that Fuckface literally recoiled back.

"You're a Sky." Fuckfaces voice was awed in a way that made him _distinctly_ uncomfortable.

" **What**?!" Oh look, Assholes was now in his face, too. Lovely.

They were staring at him now, just… staring at him. Like he was a unicorn or something. They hadn't stopped talking though so, plus?

"He's a _Sky_ , Aldo." Apparently, fuckface had an actual name.

"I _know_." The aforementioned Aldo ( _Hereby forever immortalized as Fuckface)_ reached out with a shaking hand.

Tsuna didn't know what, exactly, he'd planned to do with that hand but he also didn't care.  
His _knowing_ was telling him that _now_ was the time to escape. Someone or something was coming, and that would be his only chance.

Darting out between both hunched over men, Tsuna thanked his mother for his small stature. Even at 8 he was much tinier than most boys his age. This fact only helped in squeezing in between two fully grown men.  
Grown men that in their haste to stand up, both ended up knocking heads and falling, was simply a beautiful extra.

Running out of the narrow ally they'd moved him too, Tsuna kept running. He had no idea where exactly he was, but he could see the Sky lightning so it was closer to day then night. If he could get to some type of Main Street they wouldn't able to carry him off again.

Having his mind **_screech_** at him to turn right **now** was enough motivation to tear his hands up even further in an effort to take the corner at the same speed as his running. The swoosh of air behind him and loud cursing proved once again, that holy fuck he would be dead without this _knowing_ crap.

Hopefully, whichever one that had been, was down for the count or at least down for a while. Being chased freaking sucked, one less pursuer was great.

There was a light at the end of the ally, he could see light orange sky and taste salt on the air. Blasting past the end of the ally, he could see water.

Water everywhere.

 _How long did they carry me around for?!_

He hadn't been anywhere _close_ to the sea last night! The street he'd been on was miles away! This _had_ to be the same type of cheating Viper did!

He didn't have time to be annoyed at someone else having Vipers stupid cheats, ( _the ones they wouldn't tell him about.)_ He needed to go… left? Probably left. _Knowing_ said left.

As long as it was away from those creeps he'd go straight out into the ocean if he had to. The eyes they'd stared at him with in the end….

 _(What even was a Sky? How could he be whatever that was, if he had no idea what it meant?)_

He couldn't take more than 10 steps in the direction of the bus stop he was originally going to, before someone was calling out that annoying name.

"Fuun-Tsuna!" The voice who called it was friendly, annoyingly so. In the completely fake hey-I'm-nice-why-don't-you-like-me-way.

Yeah, because today could only get worse.

Tsuna turns around already knowing who he'd find. Yamamoto Takeshi; Baseball Star, Idol, and all around good guy. Just ask anyone.

He was also _another_ one of the people Tsuna couldn't really stand. But unlike Hibari this guy had no excuse for doing what he always did. Because unlike Hibari, his family wasn't fucking insane.

But Yamamoto _was_.

* * *

 _Oh, Lazarus_  
 _How did your debts get paid?_  
 _Oh, Lazarus_  
 _Were you so afraid?_


	10. Basio saepe volam, cui plagam diligo sol

_We can't be enemies forever_  
 _You can be on my side tonight_  
 _We used to be in the game together_  
 _Now we only know to fight_

* * *

Yamamoto Takeshi was an unsettling person.

He was everything people wanted in a kid. Not to smart, kind to everyone, friendly. He had a huge group of friends, from years both below and above his own. He helped the elderly when they needed it, he cleaned up after himself, and he was the rising baseball star of their town.

He was also a complete and total _liar_.

If the fucking frauder wasn't always so obsessive with his persona Tsuna would even be impressed. Not many kids their age had the ability to be such an accomplished manipulator. And he'd seen Yamamoto in action countless times, against literally everyone. And it always worked.

Always.

Well..

It _mostly_ worked. It worked 99.9% of the time. It worked nine times out of ten. It worked _almost_ perfectly. Very, very close to perfection. Something anyone else would be ecstatic over. And If he was a normal person and not completely insane Yamamoto himself would be ecstatic over such a high number of success.

But he wasn't human ( _there's no way_ ), and he was insane so of course he couldn't be happy with a number that should be statistically impossible to achieve. That little bit, that barely one percent bugged him. That 1 person out of ten that refused to follow the pattern that Yamamoto's obsession demanded, was Tsuna.

 _(And since Tsuna knew he couldn't keep him goddamn mouth shut to save his life, he should have known he'd attract the only other weirdo in their town besides the Hibari.)_

Because liars know each other. They know the taste of little white lies given for the kindness they are, and the smell of fake laughs. They know the shifty eyed look for a scapegoat and the sounds of dishonesty spilling from between grinning mouths. It's so _easy_ to spot a liar when your a liar yourself and apart from his Mama, Tsuna was the best liar in town.

Even if he only ever lied to himself

Yamamoto on the other hand lied to everyone. He lied to his dad about his love of baseball, he lied to his mom about his friends, he lied to his friends about the school and he lied to the school about Tsuna. He lied and lied and lied about everything. And he was good at it. They were always believable lies, always something that could have, theoretically happened. But Tsuna always knew. It drove Yamamoto insane that his old friend, the town punching bag, knew when he was faking. It put his entire Game at risk, made his performance feel that little bit wrong. It didn't help that Tsuna was completely willing to call him out on his bullshit in front of anyone.

Even though no one ever believed him, the mere fact the it was something Tsuna could and would do, made Yamamoto twitch whenever it happened.

Unfortunately for literally everyone in town, as stated before Tsuna would sooner have his tongue cut out then he'd ever be willing to shut up, so _of course_ Yamamoto would continue to try and figure out the cheat, the one he was convinced Tsuna had too always be able to figure out when Yamamoto was playing the Game. The guy could get obsessive, which Tsuna had only figured out _**after**_ he'd done more then snort at one of his 'obvious' lies one day after school.

Tsuna rues the day he was annoyed enough at Hibari that he decided, "Fuck it." and proceeded to tear apart Yamamoto's story down to the time frame on how it was literally _impossible_ for him to not have time to clean out the classroom since baseball practice wasn't for 4 hours, his dad wasn't expecting him to help out at the restaurant since they were fucking _8_ and his dad used goddamn _knives_ to cook. It was ridiculous, he was ridiculous, and the teacher was an idiot for not realizing it all before Tsuna did.

 _(God. It's always baby Hibari's fault isn't it? Everything that happens that fucks with his life ends up **always** being that specific Hibari's fault somehow.)_

Tsuna groaned out loud as he turned to glare at the smiling face of Yamamoto. Today officially _sucked_. First it'd been Hibari laying in wait for him, then Shamel had been a let down as a person even if he'd gotten the confirmation he'd wanted, then Viper had left before he'd been able to see them off, and THEN he'd almost been kidnapped and maybe (?) sold off to be some sky-child-bride thing, and now last but not fucking least, lying Yamamoto Takashi just _happened_ to be where he wasn't fucking wanted.

"What are you doing here Yamamoto?" He voice was sweetly pleasant, completely at odds with his glare.

Yamamoto continued to smile while his arms raised in a 'calm down' motion. He eyes were almost completely shut he was trying so hard to look friendly. "Ah, my dads here for the best deals on fish." He stepped forward slightly, arms moving behind his head.

Tsuna didn't trust it.

"But I'm kinda curious. What're you doing here Fuun-Tsuna? Were kinda far from town.." Yamamoto refused to look away from his face. It was… unsettling.

"It's none of your business what I'm doing, faker." Tsuna stepped farther away from Yamamoto, even though it did nothing to really widen the distance between them. "Where's your dad?"

Yamamoto's smile twitched, "Maa, Tsuna that's not very nice."

Tsuna scoffed, "Yeah, well, I'm not very nice in general." He looked around the port, not spotting Yamamoto's dad at a glance but knowing he had to be close. "Where. Is. Your. Dad. Yamamoto?"

"Somewhere over there." Yamamoto waved vaguely behind him. "Where'd you get the jacket Tsuna? I'm pretty sure you didn't have it at school yesterday, it's pretty cool!"

"Did you not hear me earlier? About the whole everything I do being none of your business? I'm pretty sure I said that already."

Yamamoto expression tightened further while his eyes opened to glare cheerily. It was surprisingly effective for an eight year old.

Tsuna stood his ground though. If he could face Hibari in a rage, freakin Yamamoto would not intimidate him into telling him anything. But… he did need to find Yamamoto's dad…

"It as a gift.. ..from my _Madrina_." He mumbled out. He really didn't want to tell Yamamoto about V but there was no way the idiot would leave him alone until he heard something. He could have tried to lie, maybe, but knowing Yamamoto he'd have noticed and became even more annoyingly persistent. Better just to use words he had no chance of knowing then saying nothing at all.

Yamamoto tilted his head to the side like the world's dumbest looking cat, and grinned.

"So your mom gave it to you? That's so weird! I thought she didn't like Fuun-Tsuna either! She's always talking about it at home so it's pretty strange she'd get you such a nice coat when you failed this weeks test! She much reeeeally love you, yeah?"

Tsuna hadn't ever really noticed how cold Yamamoto's eyes could get. It was like looking into a human torturing a bug, someone that didn't care they were hurting you or how, only focused on your reactions. Tsuna shivered and hastily backed up another step before stopping. Yamamoto was a dick ( _a very scary dick)_ but he couldn't do anything in public like this. There were too many people around. So the only thing he could do was unnerve him, try to make him leave for whatever reason.

Tsuna bared his teeth in a parody of a grin, more challenging than anything had a right to be on such a young face and said, "I didn't know you knew Italian Faker-Takashi."

Yamamoto just continued to smile back, his own pleasant smile taking on the same creepy twitch as before.

"Maa, you were on the phone in that tree you like, know the one? Where you hide from Hibari-Sempai? It was really cool listening to you! So I thought, why not? Maybe me and Fuun-Tsuna can be friends!" Yamamoto started cheerfully.

He could not stand this kid. Always with that fucking _smile_. "We at _not_ going to be friends _Yamamoto_."

Yamamoto started to walk forward into Tsuna's space. "You never know! We could become the best of friends, share secrets like the girls do, go on adventures! Play games together." He finished with a sly tone.

Tsuna blew up, with his hands in his already messy hair he stared confused and angry at this kid. "For the last _fucking_ time your completely delusional. Life is not a 'game', I don't have 'cheat codes' to your 'character' and we will NEVER BE FRIENDS AGAIN!"

But Yamamoto didn't seem to care at all. "That's not a very nice thing to say Fuun-Tsuna~." Yamamoto kept inching closer slowly.

Tsuna couldn't deal with this. No one could be this dumb, it wasn't possible. "Oh my god, Yamamoto you're a freaking idiot. How does this always happen? Why do I always get dragged into the same conversation with you?"

This was worse than Hibari somehow. He hadn't known you could be worse then Hibari. If Tsuna wasn't so annoyed he'd be the first in line to give Yamamoto a medal for this sheer impossibility.

It was in that moment of inattention that Yamamoto sprung. He lunged forward towards Tsuna with, ( _in Tsunayoshi 'Walking Disaster' Sawada's opinion, un-fucking-fair_ ) grace. Flinching away from the sudden movement it was only because of dumb luck that he managed to dodge out of the way.

Yamamoto tumbled on the street behind him, while Tsuna whirled his arms to gain some type of balance back. Any amount would be nice since Yamamoto was back up and _running at him again!_

"What the fuck, faker! Fucking-" Tsuna yelled out as he again somehow managed to fall right as Yamamoto's hand swiped out at his shoulder.

Yamamoto grinned back, a look in his eyes disturbingly like Hibari's when Tsuna managed to fight back. "Maa~ Tsuna~ C'mere for a sec!" Yamamoto grunted when Tsuna's foot contacted with his stomach.

Tsuna's legs were barely long enough that laying on the ground he was able to keep _just_ out of reach of Yamamoto's arms, even as they strained to reach him.

That smile was just as creepy as it always was.

 _(He swore to god, the moment he got away from this town he would never look or hopefully find, a smile as creepy as Yamamoto's. Or people as insane as Hibari. It had to be impossible. There couldn't be more of them.)_

They stayed locked in that position for what felt like hours but with how little endurance Tsuna had it was probably only minutes. And Yamamoto was _heavy_.

Yamamoto's fingertips grazed against his hair, and Tsuna flung his head back slamming against the ground.

He groaned pitifully as the smacks from before from Fuckface and whatever-his-name-was from before made themselves known again.

"Tsuna! You alright?!" Yamamoto yelled worriedly.

Tsuna's legs started to quiver while he hands batted Yamamoto's away. "What do you care you jerk! This is your fault!"

Yamamoto pouted at him like he wasn't putting dead weight on Tsuna's legs trying to force them down. "That's not very nice Tu-chan."

With strength born of annoyance and embarrassment Tsuna heaved Yamamoto sideways onto the ground beside him, if he'd had time he'd have basked in the surprised widening of Yamamoto's eyes.

Instead he followed after him and put him in a headlock. Watching those wrestling videos online actually came in handy. Who knew?

"Don't call me Tu-chan you faker! We're not kids anymore." Tsuna might be getting some slight sadistic pleasure out of silencing Takashi, but really, if no one else was gonna do it, it was only right the duty fall on him.

Tsuna squeezed tight enough Takashi wheezed breathily. If this was a sacrifice he had to make, he'd do it with solemn dignity.

Takashi scrambled against Tsuna's arms while his face took on an alarming ripe red color. His legs kicked out against nothing, and all the people around them ignored the two boys wrestling on the ground.

"You should know better then this Taka-chan. _Don't_ take me on. You're a hundred years to early." Tsuna said happily as the boy under him was trying to nod frantically.

He should… probably let Yamamoto go. He didn't actually want to kill him ( _probably_ ) despite how annoying he could be. But maybe he could hurt him just a little? He was practically asking for it with that nickname.

Tsuna's arm tightened slightly again drawing out another pleasing wheeze when a voice from above them called out.

"...Takashi-kun? Sawada-kun?"

Looking up Tsuna's hand dug into Yamamoto's shoulder while his eyes slipped shut in defeat. Because standing there with a truly large amount of fish was Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, Takashi's dad staring at them with bemusement.

"Hello Yamamoto-san. Where the fish good today?" There was nothing for it, he had to act like this was entirely normal. That was the only way forward.

 _(oh my god Takashi, I hate you, this is all your fault!)_

Yamamoto smiled slightly as he took in his son and the small broken Sky who had him in a headlock, "Yes Sawada-kun the fish we're very good today." His lips twitched. "Would you like to try some? We're heading back into town soon."

Tsuna let go of Yamamoto junior and kicked him square in the back, shoving him far enough away that Tsuna could stand up and brush himself off. Ignoring how Takashi gasped in heaving breaths on the ground dramatically.

Heading over towards where Yamamoto senior was watching his son groan with a strange look on his face, Tsuna refused to look at anything other than Yamamoto-sans face, definitely not the man's son. ( _Who he still wanted to choke out for this entire situation but whatever)_

"Yes, please! I was supposed to met up with some friends today but they didn't… they were busy! And their parents were supposed to take me home since I don't know where the bus stop is here.." Tsuna lied straight faced.

Yamamoto-san didn't look like he knew if he should believe him or not since it was well known that the Sawada's, Tsunayoshi in particular, were persona non grata in the town of Namimori.

But there really wasn't any good reason _why_ Tsuna would be lying since they were a good 30 minutes away from town. What real trouble could the kid have gotten into? It was more likely some kids had played a mean joke on him then ditched him. Or never showed up to begin with.

Yamamoto senior sighed and ruffled the boys spiky hair, ignoring the way Tsuna tensed up at the action. ' _Poor little Sky_ ', he thought sadly. ' _This town has already done so much wrong to you._ '

"Alright, come on. I'll let you try the first bite of the day." Yamamoto senior started walking away, his hand on the back of a tense Tsuna's neck. "Takashi we're leaving! Hurry up!"

Tsuna could see out of the corner of his eye how Takashi rushed to climb up, slipping on his own legs. He ignored the second arm that found its way around his shoulder alongside its dad. He couldn't exactly escape with the way Yamamoto senior had a hold of him. He'd be sure to punch Takashi later for taking advantage of his inability to retaliate right away.

The arm squeezed while Takashi happily argued with the man beside Tsuna about why he didn't get the first piece of sushi, and Tsuna had to grit his teeth against the urge to tear it off and beat him with it. Knowing Takashi he'd probably laugh at the brunette's anger and call him Tu-chan just to see the death burning in his eyes as he chased him.

Takashi Yamamoto was a idiot. An unsettling one since he never seemed to be off put by what the School said or what the town did. He followed Tsuna around no matter what he threw at him, or what he said. Ever since the day Tsuna unintentionally threw down the challenge and found the only other weirdo in his town besides Baby Hibari. ( _He hoped Yamamoto was the only other one. He really did NOT need even more psychotic ducklings following after him.)_

Tsuna slammed his elbow into Takashi's stomach when the other boy tried to tug on slightly longer pieces of his hair by his temple. When Yamamoto-san looked over at his son's cut off words only to find Tsuna smiling brightly up at him, he sighed and seemingly decided to ignore it.

When Yamamoto-san finally looked away after side-eyeing them both for a moment back towards finding his car, Tsuna elbowed Takashi's again just for good measure. The resulting whine of _Tu-Chaaaaan_ went ignored by both of them.

Why was it always him that attracted the weirdos?

...

 _(Wait. Why did Takashi think Viper was his mother?!)_

* * *

 _I'm a liar, you're a liar_  
 _Don't look into my eyes_

 _I'm a liar, you're a liar  
We stand behind the lies_

 _I'm a liar, you're a liar_  
 _Don't break into my soul_

 _I'm a liar, you're a liar  
Mty heart is like a stone_

* * *

•~~•

AN: **Guys. Go to my A03 page (Foxtron) it has a picture of our son Tsuna. Go look at it and be as awed I was at the Chaos Child.**


	11. Viper Interlude

_Loving you was sunshine, safe and sound_

 _A steady place to let down my defenses_

 _But loving you had consequences_

* * *

Watching Tsuna come awake all at once was… annoying. He shouldn't be anywhere _near_ the instinct to come completely awake at the drop of a hat. That wasn't something children _did_. Not unless they had to, not unless they didn't feel safe enough to sleep deeply. With his Flames sealed, and the amount of sleeping medication she'd given him, he should have slept much longer. But Tsuna lived to make her life difficult, just like his father.

Viper sighed wearily to herself, her cloak ruffling like disgruntled feathers when she turned to follow Tsuna from one room to the next. It was even more annoying to see how much Tsuna had inherited from Reborn, since the man had the same bad habit of waking up from a dead sleep abruptly, when he wasn't dozing off with his eyes open to creep other people out.

 _'I wonder… Could Tsuna also do that? Is it hereditary? Can something like that even be hereditary?'_

It was very cute though, watching Tsuna subtly freak out at the amount of money and clothes she'd given him. He always tried to be so very grown up, so the rare few times he let himself act like the kid he was, were precious. Mostly when something caught him completely off guard. Good or Bad, the reaction was mostly genuine.

It was strangely rewarding to give Tsuna things he never asked for, just to get those reactions from him. Even her covetously guarded money was easy to spend when it came to this one little boy. It had been _years_ since she'd had such ease spending money on things. That coat itself had taken two jobs to pay for, and Viper did _not_ come cheap.

' _The fur alone…'_

Viper peered over Tsuna's shoulder when he shoved both notes she'd left into his pockets after hurriedly wiping at his eyes with one leather clad arm. Was he keeping the notes she'd written earlier? That was sweet, in a very sad way. They we're just note's telling him where she'd gone vaguely, they weren't even true since she'd hadn't added anything nice the way that woman did the days she remembered she had a son who needed to eat lunch at school. Scowling at the reminder that Tsuna was going back to his whore of a mother, Viper phased through the door once Tsuna shut it, and floated invisibly behind him.

A short walk towards the elevator and they were heading down to the lobby. Tsuna seemed strangely tense but he was odd at the best of time, so she didn't give it much thought. The next bus going back to Namimori was close to 20 minutes away, so they had a little time to get to the bus stop before it arrived.

Viper scanned the surrounding area on instinct with her Mist Flames, but didn't find anything that jumped out at her as concerning. That was great news since she had a few errands to run after making sure Tsuna got home safely, before heading back towards Italy and requesting some time off.

Xanxus wasn't likely to deny her either, not if he wanted to keep his Mist officer or have a happy Storm officer. Bel was very attached to her, and when she wasn't lying to herself on the bad days, she could admit she was just as attached to him.

But she _needed_ to be here when Tsuna contacted Reborn for the first time, even if Tsuna didn't know she was. He'd hate it if she tried to coddle him but Reborn could be volatile in the worst ways of his Flame Type when he wanted to be, overly cruel and single-minded. She didn't _think_ he'd be anything other than horribly over-protective when he realized Tsuna was his son but she'd been wrong about him before. And this wasn't something she was willing to chance.

She'd sooner fight Reborn then _ever_ let that stubborn, fragile kid get hurt by even _one more person_ that was supposed to love and support him. Over her dead body. Bel could deal with that type of let down, Hibari would rage against it, but Tsuna..

Tsuna would either self-destruct, going into a truly devastating discord or close his heart off for good. Neither of which Viper was prepared to let happen. It would just be better for everyone if she was their to mediate, just in case something went wrong.

Stepping out of the elevator Viper languidly followed after Tsuna. The kid kept glancing around nervously and it was making her nervous. Not that he could see that. But when he took off running at a breakneck speed, Viper was right behind him. Tsuna was canny in ways most street kids were, something she'd lost a long time ago. If he thought something was dangerous she'd trust his instincts for now, at least until whatever had spooked him showed itself.

Fantasma keeps up with the kid easily, no matter the turns he takes or how hard he pushes himself. If he can't even outpace her Flame animal while running, he'll definitely need to start on a fitness plan. At least he had stamina from all that running away from the little Hibari all he time, otherwise he'd be completely unprepared for the physically grueling aspects of life in the Mafia.

He also hadn't fallen yet, which was slightly impressive with how much Will the Seal ended up, well, sealing away. Unfortunately, the Flame actives she'd overlooked while in the hotel elevator where gaining on them. It was suspicious that they'd pick Tsuna to chase. Did they know who he was? And if they did how? Or was this completely unrelated to Tsuna's parents? Only one way to find out really. It was a good thing he didn't know she was still here, otherwise he'd never act as natural as he was now.

 _'Acting lessons would also be needed before Reborn was told. He's done well with Shamel but that was while the good Doctor was compromised emotionally. He can get to cocky when he knows he has someone more powerful behind him to back his words up. That had to go.'_

Ah. She's spoken to soon.

Rolling her eyes Viper hovered slightly behind Tsuna as he tumbled along the ground on his knees. It looked like it had to hurt, but would only leave a small scar if any, so there was no need to intervene just yet. Even though she did hate to see him in pain it was necessary.

When the first two of the group that had chased them grabbed Tsuna, Viper had to physically stop herself from stabbing him with her Mist constructed dagger. Fighting physically with Mist Flames was.. Disgraceful, but she'd do much, much worse if she had to. But she couldn't. Not if she wanted to know what these men wanted from Tsuna.

With a sigh Viper waved away the weapon and took control of both the group in front of her, and the rest of the group that surrounded them. They were now trapped in her Mist for however long she wished it. With only a few low-purity Lightnings and one weak Sun, they had no way of knowing what was happening or how to get out. She'd deal with them after she took care of the two who'd grabbed Tsuna.

 _'But first_ …' Viper mused to herself, _'where to take them?'_

With the men trailing behind her, glazed eyes looking stupidly at nothing, Viper Mist-walked the four of them to an out of the way ally right by where she could vaguely sense a flamiler Rain. The sushi man would take Tsuna safely back to town, if for no other reason than because his son was strangely attached to the kid. Something that couldn't have anything to do with the boys sealed Sky Flames since they'd only met after the sealing. (' _An introduction Tsuna was sure to tell her about,_ ** _extensively_ **_, after it happened. For weeks.')_

Looking to the sky, Viper hummed thoughtfully. She _could_ leave the three of them here and go see what the rest of the group knew, or she could let them go and see how the rest of the encounter played out. It was dark enough that it would be highly unlikely for them to realize how little time had passed, despite how far away from the others they had gotten. If they even had the Flame power to do that. Whatever Family they we're from had to either be very, very weak or extremely desperate to send mostly unawakened members and low-powered Flame Users out to do...whatever this was.

It made her curious.

' _Tsuna's group it was then. Let's see what they have to say.'_

Viper released the men holding Tsuna from her Mist and watched as they continued where they 'thought' they'd left off.

"Alright, kid. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna let you down, and you're gonna put this little sheet on your tongue." The large on started first. He was Italian, Viper noticed. And the one _mostly_ in charge. But from the way the other, smaller man was glaring at him, it hadn't been an unanimous decision. So no clear hierarchy. "We're far enough away from anyone else that if you try to run we'll catch you. If you try to scream, I'll break your jaw. Alright?"

' _That was not a very smart thing to say in front of me, Lightning. Not at all.'_

Tsuna proud little thing that he was, nodded reluctantly. The larger man dropped him roughly, sealing his own fate when Tsuna winced at the sharp pain that had to be from where he'd skinned his knees earlier. The other man, who still didn't seem to like the way the larger one was handling things, walked around him and tugged Tsuna up.

"Here. Stick this on your tongue then hold it out. Like this." The man showed Tsuna what he wanted him to do, in the most condescending way you could ever talk to a child. This child in particular hated that tone, so it didn't surprise her when instead of doing the smart thing and just listening to the man, maybe getting him on your side so you could escape, Tsuna had the bright idea to snark back. This boy was to much like his father.

So no, it didn't surprise her. But the punch he got in return enraged her. Viper hated child abusers. They made no sense, they had no control and they made everyone look bad when the police caught one from the Mafia. If she didn't need to know what they were looking for, and if Tsunayoshi had been the target or just an unlucky bystander, he'd be dead because of that hit alone.

But even as it burned her, she _did_ need him alive. At least for a little while longer. Just a little while. So Viper took to pacing around the three of them, both to ease off some of the anger she was, fortunately not used to feeling and so she could take in all of their expressions. The large man had the eyes of a killer, one who'd killed for so long and so often that he's numbed his emotions down to almost nothing. Only weak hitman did such a thing, ones who couldn't reconcile the thought of killing someone with themselves so they forced themselves to stop feeling it. Breaking irrecoverably in the process.

"Open your mouth."

The other one though.. He was skittish. Or maybe paranoid? His eyes kept darting around, scared someone might catch them? Or was he sensing her and didn't know what to make of it? He wasn't trying to rein in the other man at all, but he also didn't have the same look in his eyes. ( _She was trying her hardest to ignore the small, whimpering ball on the ground at their feet, right then. There was nothing she could do to comfort him and knowledge was more important than the fear Tsuna was going though at the moment. Even though she hated to think of it like that, you don't become one of the best by letting your emotions control you. )_

Whichever Family these two were from, if they we're a family at all. It didn't train its members very well. Lal March would have a field day with them both. If the rest of the group was anything like these two, then she might be overreacting the slightest bit. Didn't mean they still weren't all going to die for what they'd already done to Tsuna. But it would be nice if the poor kid didn't have anything more to worry about.

"You're a Sky."

Oh, yes. They were _definitely_ dying. Some other Family finding out there's a Sky in Namimori was _not_ going to happen. Way to big of a headache for her to have to deal with. In a flurry of activity, Viper forced just enough of her Mist into the two men's minds to allow Tsuna to slip though. He took off like she knew he would, the kid always had a great sense of when to escape, and she let the two chase after him.

She made sure to cover the side alleys so Tsuna didn't accidentally go into one and get trapped, and quickly started herding all three towards the Rain Flame from earlier. It was easier then she thought it would be. The men seemed desperate now that they knew what Flame Type Tsuna was, telling her without words that they really hadn't known beforehand. It truly did seem to just be a coincidence that he'd been the one found.

When Tsuna flew out from the ally and into the light Viper made her move. Snatching the two men mid run, she carried both of them towards the rest of their group. It took only a few seconds before she'd dropped them with the rest and faded back into the shadows around them.

Now that Tsuna was safely out of the way..

She had a few _questions_ for them.

The first one she grabbed was a no name grunt. He wasn't active but he had the zing of metal taste to her senses, meaning if he ever did activate he'd be a Lightning. Unlikely for him, that would never happen. His leg was the first to be torn off by one of her Mist-Made Spiders. It made a large splat where it landed in front of the slowly coming to group. The man's screams only met the air in static bursts. All done to create an even larger sense of terror. It was so much easier to get answers when someone was afraid. And by the end of this, they would be very, very afraid.

Most of the group stared dumbly at the leg, a few, the smart ones, try to run. Unfortunately for them, they'd been trapped in her web for so long now, there really was no escape from the inside.

A sharp ripping sound, like when you tore jeans and this time an arm lands in the middle of the crowd, taking one non-active down with it. The man screams and the rest scatter as far from each other as they can.

It's not a very smart move.

One after the other, people are yanked into the unnatural darkness around them, a quick scream and then nothing, Soon whole groups were missing. Of the twenty-seven they started with, only two groups of three are left. The blood is gone, the body parts are gone and they'd never seen anything grab them or move them. They were just there then _gone._

"That was annoying." This entire night had been annoying. First with Shamel, then Tsuna almost dying and now this. She had things to do!

The two groups that were left merge together quickly after nothing happens when she talks. They looked more like a huddle of un-cute looking rabbits then the grown men and women of the mafia.

"What do you want!" A simi-brave one calls out from where she's hiding behind some others, "This area isn't claimed by anyone! We checked! You have no right to- to-"

"Kill you?" Viper asks sardonically. "I have no right to kill you?"

The woman doesn't respond.

"Mou, that's funny. Because if we're using that logic, then you have no right to abduct children." Viper smiles grimmly from her place in the shadows. "But their weak and your strong so you can do whatever you want, right?"

The group tightens together, looking around wearily. Like they could find her if she didn't want to be found. Fools.

"By that logic, since I'm strong and your weak. **_I_** can do whatever I want." The shadows around them grow deeper, a hand bursts out from behind them and grabs the woman who'd tried and demand answers from her. "And what I want, more than anything else at the moment? Is most of you dead. I won't even charge you for my time. Aren't you lucky?"

Screams are her only answer. But that's alright, she wasn't much in the mood for talking anyways.

* * *

 _Hesitation, awkward conversation_  
 _Running on low expectation_  
 _Every siren that I was ignoring_  
 _I'm payin' for it_

* * *

Viper looks around her, put out at all the body parts she's going to have to find some way to clean up. Heaving out a sigh she flicks her cloak's sleeve away with a grimace. She'd gotten a slight bit… carried away. It looked more like Bel had been there, instead of her. If she called this in she'd have to explain it and Xanxus still didn't know why she came to Namimori so regularly, although lately he'd been even more nosy about it then usual. They'd also never let her hear the end of it.

_Ring~_

Glancing down Viper conjured up her cell phone and cursed. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Damnit.

Answering the phone Viper tried to keep her dripping sleeve away from her face. Blood smelt awful.

"What."

"Don't 'what' me, Miser bitch. Where are you?" Came the lovely voice of her Sky from down the line. Stupid, big brat.

"Japan. What do you want?" She bitched back. She really did _not_ have time for this if she wanted to make her flight back, and she _still_ had errands to run.

"What the fuck are you still in Japan for?" Some type of commotion in the background. God, she did not want to know what they we're doing. She'd probably be the one who'd end up having to pay for it anyways. The longer she could go with justifiable blindness the happier she would be.

"Arcobaleno business." Viper said simply.

"Really? Fuckin' _really_? That's what your going with?" Xanxus said. The noise in the background that she's barely been able to hear before, rose substantially. "It's not to see that brat again is it?"

Viper whole body freezes. No one is supposed to know about Tsuna. _No one._ She'd made sure of it.

"What? You think I didn't know about him? Bel told me the first time you two got back, dumb bitch. Who is he?" Despite his harsh words, Xanxus's voice is still even. Not soft but not demanding either. He's curious. But if Xanxus ever found out Tsuna's 'identity…' This is exactly what she didn't want happening! Damnit, Bel!

"Drop it, Xanxus." She hisses out at him. "This has nothing to do with you OR the Family."

"So it IS your kid. Bel wasn't sure when he told me about him," His voice is incredibly smug sounding, "When'd you have time to have a kid, Mammon? He's what, six? That's a story I'm dying to hear!"

"You tell anyone about him and you'll be looking for a new Mist Guardian, Vongola."

The dead silence on the other end of the phone is the only indicator that whatever she's said had startled Xanxus. If her emotions weren't so frantic with the knowledge that if she didn't somehow stop this, Tsuna might die, Xanxus would _definitely_ die and a war would start, she'd also be surprised with herself. Xanxus was her Sky but.. She wasn't bluffing about this.

"Viper." She said nothing. "If he's yours, he's one of us. I can't protect him from our enemies if I don't know anything about him." Xanxus's voice hardened. "I didn't even know he existed until Belphegor demanded why we didn't have any men stationed there to look after the kid while you were gone."

She was silent. She had no answers he would accept and she couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet, not until Tsuna had Reborn backing him completely. Xanxus would have no problem killing the kid to take him out of the running for Decimo, just in case his brothers all died.

"Is he dead?"

"What?" she said confused. Was who dead? Tsuna was fine..

"The man who fathered your brat. Is he dead." Does he think…

Does he think I didn't want Tsuna? That I was what, raped? When? _Where_? That's the answer for a hidden child coming to light?

Viper wanted to groan at the sheer idiocy her Sky had apparently inherited from his adopted father, but couldn't. Because despite how distasteful it was, it _was_ a good cover. It made sense in an extremely sexist way. Xanxus knew her gender, of course he did, he was her Sky. But that knowledge came with the unfortunate cultural aspects of that gender.

Like how women were 'weaker' than men, apparently. No matter that she was the Strongest Mist in the World, because she was a woman she was automatically considered weaker. It was why she'd started to wear her cloak to begin with. It got annoying fast. And Xanxus, despite being a very good Sky and a very logical male, was still raised in that culture. So while he knew, intellectually that she was just as strong as the rest of his Guardians, Stronger than all of them now that she was no longer Cursed. He still had stupid assumptions like this one, every now and then.

Normally she did everything she could to dissuade these episodes, but this would work in her favor. The only question was did she want to lie to her Sky about something so heinous happening to her, something he both had no idea about happening nor did he stop. Or did she want to tell him the truth knowing that he wouldn't stop looking until he found out who Tsuna really was?

She sighed heavily. "...Hn." This was a huge mess.

" _Good_." Xanxus said. "Good.."

"...Right." She sighed, 'I'm leaving. I'll be back tonight. Tell-"

"When are you bringing him back with you? Luss already has a room picked out- _It's beautiful, darling! He'll love it, I swear-"_ Luss's voice cuts into the phone out of nowhere then the sound of a brief struggle and Squalo now, apparently, has the phone.

"He better not be a fucking weakling! We won't baby him, you hear me? VOOOO-" Another brief struggle she can hear, this time echoed with the sound of a sword clashing and a gun that's unmistakably Xanxus's firing. A distinct 'Boss!' and Bel's unmistakable laughter follows. By which point Viper knows they've forgotten about her.

Hanging up, Viper flops down on the somewhat dried blood and huffs. Her Family is very annoying. But their good, in the vaguest sense of the term. They were still gonna give her hell when It came out, who exactly Tsuna was. That would be fun. _Right_.

Reaching up to the top of her hood she grasped Fantasma gently in her hand and brought the frog down to her level. "Listen. Go eat all the dead bodies. I don't want to have to deal with them, and I know you sneak into the morgues at night when I'm sleeping."

Fantasma gives her a look as if to say, 'Who me?' Rolling her unseen eyes Viper drops the frog down softly and stares up at the lightning sky. Tsuna would probably already be home now, or maybe at the Rain's house. With that stupid phone call she didn't have time to stop on his house before she left. It was annoying but unavoidable now.

Things were moving rapidly now that Tsuna knew for sure Reborn was his father. She wondered where all this would lead them. If Tsuna would be happy in the end. If Reborn would be.

Her phone rings again.

Knowing it's the idiots she calls Family, Viper picks up the phone without pausing to consider who else it could be. The smooth, dark voice on the other end of the line is _not_ her Sky like she thought It'd be, or even Bel who was the second most likely to call her.

" _Chaos_."

It's Reborn.

* * *

 _Found loving you was sunshine, but then it poured_

 _And I lost so much more than my senses_

 _'Cause loving you had consequences_


	12. Mother's Day

Viper looked dazedly around at all the money floating down in clumps around her. Huge wads of hundred dollar bill's smacked into the floor on her right, while a spastic series of one's got caught in her lowered hood. Was that a row of briefcase filled to overflowing with even more money on the stairs? The floor was covered in green and she was pretty sure she'd had a dream like this at some point. There we're even _gold coins_ plunking down around her.

It was _beautiful_...

A loud ripping sound, one she hated to hear when around any type of money came from the ceiling and she snapped her head up. If someone was _tearing_ her **money** \- !

The sight of Tsuna's terrified face coming streaming towards her (and the ground!) while holding onto some type of cloth banner kicked her into action. Ignoring the swearing she could hear from the balcony and the dark shot of black that was almost even with her, Viper swelled Mist Flame's underneath her, rising like a rocket to catch Tsuna mid-air. Breathing a sigh of relief Viper tried to get her heart under control.

That was not a sight she had expected or wanted to see coming at her from so high up. Tsuna still didn't have constant, casual access to his Flames and a fall from that high up could have killed or hurt him severely. From Tsuna's frozen face he'd realized that to.

" _La mia luna,_ you never fail to surprise me." Strong arms curled around her back and under her legs, lifting her up into a hard chest mid-air. Tsuna scowled at where Reborn's hands touched Viper's arm. "That was some quick reaction time. You even beat me there."

Viper looked up towards the voice, now understanding the black blur she'd seen flying almost evenly with her towards Tsuna had been Reborn himself trying to also catch the boy before he hit the ground. 'Reborn. _What_ is going on." She eyed the hand she could see Tsuna was glaring at, "And put me down."

Reborn smirked confidently down at her while they slowly descended, hands tightening. "But Viper, what if you fell as well? Tsuna would be devastated." That was such a bold faced lie Viper was close to speechless.

If something as simple as a fall from a balcony killed her, she'd deserve to die. It was such a ridiculous thing to say that when Tsuna lurched out from her arms just enough to pull down Reborn's fedora, she let him. Served the idiot Sun right.

Reborn dropped Viper, of course. One hand reaching towards his son and the other up towards his head to fix his hair. But Viper had already fallen out of reach, making sure to pinch at Tsuna's cheek when the little brat stuck his tongue out at Reborn behind her back.

"Are you both done? Tsuna? Reborn?" Viper looked up at Reborn who was still floating in the air above them, trying to act as if he wasn't sulking. "I suppose not," She deadpanned.

Looking down at Tsuna where she'd set him, Viper kneeled to be closer to his level. She pushed Tsuna's bangs away from his eyes, absently realizing that he'd need a haircut soon. At least he hadn't fully inherited the insanity that was Reborn's hair. "Tsuna." She said quietly, "Are you alright? That was quite a height."

Tsuna looked up at her with such soft eyes she was afraid for half a second that something else had to be wrong, maybe she should have asked earlier if he'd been hurt, but Viper was sure she'd caught him before he'd had time to do anything other then panic. Tsuna plowing forward into her arms with all the power of a determined Cloud quickly corrected that idea. "I wanted to do something nice for you!" He buried his head in her cloak, "...for Mother's day." He finished mumbling into her chest.

Viper felt like she'd been punched in the throat. The little boy in her arms had done all this? The money, the ( _what_ _she now realized it was)_ banner, the coins, was all him? And he'd done this… for _her_?

"I just wanted you to know.." Tsuna's hands tightened on her cloak. "how much I.." He trailed off. But Viper knew what he meant. It was still so hard for him to express how much he cared about the people closest to him, something she knew Reborn still hadn't forgiven himself for. Something she hadn't forgiven him for yet, either. But she knew. God, did she know.

Viper squeezed Tsuna even harder to her, her head going to press a hard kiss to the top of his head. "I know, _figlio._ Thank you.. so much." Tsuna's head shot up to stare at her wide eyed, he was close enough that Viper knew he's be able to see under her hood. "Thank you."

Tsuna face light up like a Christmas light. He blushed brightly and quickly turned away from her. Viper grinned, just so very happy in this moment. He was so cute, always embarrassed whenever he saw her face. Something about him thinking she was 'too pretty to look at' and 'that's why she kept her face covered all the time.'

(When Tsuna had found out her gender that day with Reborn, it had been anarchy. She'd never seen him move so fast with his Flames or Reborn be so surprised by a sudden tackle. At the time, Reborn had still been terrified of hurting Tsuna so he's done nothing but hold the boy away from him by the scruff of his neck like a kitten while still flat on his back. Tsuna's hissing and swinging arms hadn't helped the comparison.

When she'd stopped laughing long enough to help the boogeymen of the Mafia control his son, and found out Tsuna thought Reborn had been attacking her, she'd had to sit him down and explain, _'No. Reborn had not been attacking her, they had been doing something only adults did and that Tsuna himself should have knocked before coming into her room.'_ When he'd protested that only girls and boys did that, ( _She hated being reminded on why he knew these things so young)_ she'd had to explain, again, that _no, everyone can do that with anyone they want to do it with as long as both parties were happy with it._ Reborn, the coward, had slipped out of the room the second it became apparent sex was going to become the topic of the day with his curious son.

And then the conversation turned into if _she_ was a boy or girl and if she really wanted to be doing that with _Reborn_ of all people. The sour face he'd made when Viper had reassured him that yes, she had wanted to be doing _'that'_ with Reborn and that if she had ever wanted to not be doing 'that' with anyone she was very much able to make it known, was cute. What hadn't been cute was his promise that he'd protect her from Reborn since she was a girl and Reborn was _Reborn,_ and obviously couldn't be trusted.

The issues between father and son wasn't something she'd be getting into unless she absolutely had to for Tsuna's health. At the time he'd been nursing a grudge that even she would say was well deserved on Reborns part.

That day had ended with long talks on why, exactly, she wore her cloak and how it had nothing to do with her not liking her gender, but on how most adult males were stupid about women and how she would not be allowing Tsuna to grow up like that. )

A cough covered snicker drew mother and son away from their own world and towards the sound. Reborn stood a small bit away from them, giving Tsuna some time alone with Viper, something she was sure the boy hadn't caught on to. Tsuna glowered at the interruption, "What?"

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the insolent tone, "And _who_ helped you do all this?" Reborn sent a smirk towards Viper who couldn't believe how manipulative this antagonizing man was being to draw Tsuna in and let go of of her son.

"It was _my_ idea."

"One I told you she wouldn't care about."

"Well, what do _you_ know? She's my _Mamma,_ I'm sure I know her better than you." Tsuna hmphed and looked away arms coming up to cross across his chest.

Reborn's left hand twitched towards his side, "I've known her for over fifty years, brat. I doubt you know her as well as I do." Leon looked beggingly over towards Viper who did nothing other than watch the two, there was no way she'd get in between those two unless something serious happened. Actually talking to each other, even if they were arguing was good. Great, even.

"Really? Then how come it took you so long to ask her out, huh?" Tsuna poked Reborn in the chest harshly, creasing the designer suit. Viper watched with a small, hidden smile at the full body shudder that went through the man. If Reborn didn't adore Tsuna as much as he did, there was no way the boy would have gotten away with that. _No one_ messed with Reborn's suits. But watching the man try his hardest to hide how much he cared was always adorable.

"And you didn't even do it right! You just slide in like a- like a _snake_! You had to use me to get her to talk to you at all! You suck at romance!"

Reborns hand shot out to knuckle down on top of Tsuna's head causing the boy to yowl in outrage. His other arm going gently around his son's neck to hold him in place. "I am _Italian_ you little _spirito maligno._ Romance is in our blood." Tsuna's hands shot up to pull harshly at Reborn's wrist. "Don't call me that! That's _Madrina's_ name for me! And let go!"

Viper looked from Reborn's haughty face, down towards Tsuna's glowering one. The tension between the father and son was almost palatable in the ensuing argument. Looking up at where Tsuna had fallen from, Viper rolled her eyes when Bel and Luss dropped down to the floor the moment she saw them trying to frantically roll up the banner. (She could just barely read _'Happy Mother's Day_! on it in green.) It didn't surprise her in the least those two had been the ones to egg Tsuna on in this. She would eat her hood if Squalo and her Sky hadn't helped in some way she'd find out later, at the worst time.

Viper gazed around her at it all. Money was still falling, Levi having been the only one to completely non-react to the drama of Tsuna taking a Tarzan like swing off the balcony and determined to do his job, the coins were still sprinkling down from who knows where, her family was helping her son and Reborn was interacting somewhat normally with Tsuna.

Even if this was the first Mother's Day she'd ever had, Viper had a feeling it would be the best. One she would always look back on and smile at. It also helped that Viper knew Tsuna had never done anything like this for Nana.

Viper knew she was just spiteful enough to let that warm her inside.

"Boys."

Both Tsuna and Reborn turned to look at her with close to identical expressions. But she'd never tell them that. Reborn would be much to smug and Tsuna to pouty. Maybe she'd tell them later when they annoyed her. "Where did you get all this money?"

Smilier self-satisfied looks crossed both faces and black eyes Viper had found in the last year were her weakness, grinned at her. "Well…" Reborn started, his hand moving to clasp Tsuna proudly on the shoulder. "It's Iemitsu's!" Tsuna crow-ed, unable to keep quiet. Reborn shook his head fondly. "Yes, well. What he said."

"I'm not giving it back."

"Viper…"

"It's mine now."

" _Viper."_

"You heard her you un-romantic snake! It's ours now!"

"You _brat_ -!"

* * *

 **Italian** \- _Figlio_ \- Son

 **Italian** \- _Spirito malign_ \- Goblin

 **Italian** \- _La mia luna_ \- My Moon.

* * *

 _(A.N) Hey! Uh, just realized this might be confusing to some people? But all this is, is a cute little Drabble about a year in the future of this story. It's got some hints on what's going to happen and it's all cannon in story, but it's mainly just to celebrate Mother's Day. I sometimes forget you guys don't know what I'm thinking, and I can't talk to you as easily here as I can on A03. So I hope you enjoy this small Fluff before a lot of Angst.)_


	13. Qui audet adipiscitur

_You're never gonna make it,_  
 _There's no way that you make it._ _  
_

The rest of the morning passes strangely.

Getting into the car with the Yamamoto's is.. whatever. He's been in weirder places with worse people. It's a little odd to be in a car for so long when most people Tsuna knows either walk or bus everywhere. But its not bad, exactly. The music that Yamamoto-san plays is nice, the car isn't as hot as the bus would be even with three different people squashed in together and Takashi doesn't have enough room or privacy to be an asshole.

It's almost.. peaceful.

But, of course, that can't last. Yamamoto reaches the end of his non-asshole rope about halfway into the car ride and starts in on the questions.

"So Tu-chan, what were you _really_ doing out there?" Yamamoto's grin is sharp on his face when he catches Tsuna's eye.

Yamamoto-san seems to be just as interested in that answer as his son was. So apparently Tsuna wasn't believable in a pinch to adults asking why he's hours away from home. Great. He'd have to work on that.

"I don't know _why_ you think your going to get any other answer than the one I've already given you. Seeing how it's the truth and all." Tsuna replied deadpan. If he could move any farther away from Yamamoto he would, but as it was he was basically already on Yamamoto-sans lap. Any further and he might just decided to take a dive out the window to escape what he knows is going to be an annoying interrogation. ( _Which the adult Yamamoto isn't stopping!)_

His incredibly rude reply doesn't seem to bother Yamamoto in the least. It's enough of a non-reaction it makes Tsuna want to shove his fist into that eternally smiling face again. Anything to get it to stop looking like that. But, then again, Tsuna almost always has a strong desire to punch Yamamoto so it's not all the strange an urge.

"I just don't _understand_ , Tu-chan. You'd think with all the issues you have at school you'd love a friend like me!" Yamamoto tries again from another angle, his entire body turned towards Tsuna, and if he didn't know better, if he hadn't met people like this before, Tsuna might even have bought it. "I could protect you! Those bullies wouldn't know what hit them if we went at them together!" Yamamoto makes a few mock punching motions, almost slamming a fist into Tsuna's face.

Honestly. The kids technique is flawless. He's got the beguiling smile down pat, his face is set in a pleading expression and he looks desperate to be Tsuna's friend. His dad definitely seems to think so, if by the way he's watching them softly out of the corner of his eye is any indication.

Too bad for him _Tsuna_ doesn't mind looking like the asshole in front of adults, and that you can't hide that glimmer in your eye that says 'I'm lying' from his _knowing_.

It's not his fault he laughs.

Have you ever seen a child play make believe? One that believes wholeheartedly in his story and tries make others believe it as well? They can make the other children around them believe if they try hard enough, and even the adults will indulge the child if they like them, but no matter how much a three year old tells you their a fireman, it doesn't make it true.

 _That's_ what it's like when Yamamoto tries to lie to him. Something so outrageously untrue it's patronizingly hilarious.

 _He hates liars._

"You know, Yamamoto…" Tsuna drawls in a tone that never spells anything good for anyone, "You could probably make it as an actor if you ever wanted to stop letting yourself get walked all over by your teammates in baseball." Tsuna makes sure his eyes go as wide as they can when he looks at the other boy in fake surprise, "Oh, I'm sorry did you _really_ think they we're your friends? Hate to break it to you but the minute you stop winning them games, yooooooour out." The smirk Tsuna wears is wholly inappropriate in Japanese society but it makes him feel _so_ _much_ _better_. "You have about as many friends as I do, Baseball Star. "

Yamamoto Takeshi goes stark white, then blindingly red in an moment.

Needless to say, Tsuna had to take the bus the rest of the way home.

* * *

 _Are you just gonna take that?_  
 _Make them take it all back._

* * *

The next day starts out like shit.

Tsuna wakes up late, body so sore he feels like he got ran over by a bus, his face (at least parts of it) are bruised black and blue from where he'd gotten hit from that giant dick of a man and Mama doesn't ask one single question.

It hurts, he can't lie to himself about that ( _not well anyways.)_ It hurts a whole hell-of-a-lot to see his pretty Mama dance around the kitchen making breakfast for herself and not have her ask why her kid is hurt. She sees him, he knows she does, he can see when her eyes take that lucid look as she spots him for the first time. Can see them flit over his face, from mark to mark. But then she turns around and says _nothing._

It hurts _so much._

He's been through a lot trying to survive, trying to find _Reborn_ , running from Hibari but this… this right here is what he wants to escape from the most. He doesn't know how much longer he can take not having Mama look at him without going insane.

 _He missed Madrina already._

— _/—_

School doesn't help his plummeting mood at all.

Thankfully he doesn't have to run from Hibari today, as the moment that weirdo lays eyes on him, he freezes. Like a strange murderous statue Hibari does nothing while Tsuna climbs a building to get pass him, presumably so he doesn't have to walk within grabbing distance.

It's only when he turns the 'corner' and can no long see Hibari that he hears a giant explosion and multiple different people screaming. Deciding he really doesn't care today, Tsuna hustles forward as far away as he can get from the madness happening behind him.

It's not his problem if he doesn't make it his problem. _And he has no desire to make anything to do with Hibari his problem._ _ **Ever**_ _._

With that thought shaken out of his head as well as it's ever going to be Tsuna heads forward. It's only take a couple more hops along the rooftops before Tsuna is finally approaching Namimori Elementary School. The building itself is painted an obnoxious yellow with different animals sitting along the bottom. Deer stand tall beside rabbits and cuddly looking bears. Fluffy raccoon dogs hide between the tree bark and butterflies flutter happily above all the rest.

His favorite painted animal's always been the slick black cat at the very end of the line. It almost looks like it's slipping into the trees around it. It's feline smirk was so much cooler than the dull looking deer and too colorful butterflies. He'd even added a badly drawn fish in front of the cat, just in case it'd ever gotten hungry out there all alone, away from the other animals.

Tsuna jumped down from the rooftop onto one of the lower hanging balconies. Looking around he spotted a full plastic trash can with its lid down. With a quick look around to make sure the owner of said trays can wasn't anywhere around, he took a quick jump down onto it. The top caved in, of course, and Tsuna yelped when it collapsed into itself with him in it.

With an almighty shove from the inside Tsuna rolled out completely clean but trashcan ruined forever.

He checks around to make sure no one saw that, with a relieved sigh, he's already bullied he doesn't need that on his social record too, Tsuna heads inside.

It's hell. Kids shoving each other, the smell of unwashed bodies and dirt everywhere. People are throwing things constantly and food just seems to end up on the floor no matter what you do to avoid it. His _knowing_ is already telling him this was a really, really bad idea to come to school today.

—

Three hours later after an altercation with a Teacher and being cornered in a classroom by a group of boys Tsuna really wished he would have listened.

He didn't even know why this group had decided to grab him. He'd been walking the halls after storming out of his homeroom class when they'd nabbed him right from the hallway.

He really can't afford to get into a fight right now, not with the way his body hurts from last night _but_ -

- _But_ he can feel that fire flare up inside him. The black rage that's always buried in his chest, that begs and screams to be used against those that try to smother him.

The first punch thrown is his.

He watches it fly, his mind hissing how stupid this is, he knows how it'll end, but the very core of him, the part that seethed at ever slight, that throbbed with hunger _all the time_ screamed that this _**wasn't**_ _**right**_ **.**

 _Wasn't fair._

Almost immediately Tsuna is in a giant pile of boys, each hitting everything they could reach. Unfortunately, their all much more coordinated than he is and soon enough he found himself on the bottom of the heap. Tsuna throws a punch that nails the boy above him right in the nose spraying all of them with blood. A hand grabs that fist so Tsuna headbutts the boy instead. He can hear a crunch and the boy howl but he doesn't let that stop him, with the bigger boy above him out of the running and his head ringing Tsuna sends out a wild kick, it doesn't connect with a person but the wall. When he realizes what his foots stomped on Tsuna pushes with all his strength to leverage himself away from the writhing group.

Throwing out the hand that's not being held back Tsuna tries to drag himself the scant few meters away he needs to get to run. He knows he can't win this fight, when they all realize it'd be smarter to actually find him instead of hoping they end up somehow hitting him there all on the ground like this, he's dead.

Tsuna can see the door in front of him, he can see people walking to class, kids glancing into the roof then looking away in apathy after seeing it's just- _Him_.

He's almost out of the mass of limbs when a bright, black shoe stomps on his hand.

Tsuna shrieks in pain.

He can't help it, the hand is one of the most sensitive parts of the body, with almost countless tiny bones and blood vessels. Not to mention he needs his fucking hands in pristine condition if he ever wants to get V to teach him how to shoot better. He can't even grab the shoe that's forcing his hand down into the ground and _twisting_ , his other hand is still being held back by some asshole that doesn't know when to quit, behind him.

With a snarl on his gritted teeth Tsuna glares up at the face the foot that's stopping digging into his hand is attached to.

The face above him is stereotypically Japanese. He has straight black hair, small sharp pointed eyes and delicate facial features. He's also got an expression of sadistic amusement Tsuna's learned to anticipate in all his smarter bullies. The ones that do it for the pleasure of putting someone down and knowing society will approve of it.

"Aaa, Sawada-san. You really shouldn't talk that way to teachers."

He reaches down to jerk Tsuna's hair, forcing his head up. "Especially ones who only want what's best for you." A sick grin stretches across the pre-teens face before a sucker punch from the side hits Tsuna square in the face.

He goes flying, the body's around him tumbling off in mass, grunting heaps. Tsuna can't feel his face on the side he was hit and knows just from the force behind that punch that he has to get out of here. They aren't going to leave him just a little bruised this time. His _Something_ agrees frantically it's panic sending sharp jolts all along his limbs.

 _go,go,go-_

A new hand, this one larger, rougher than the last one grabs him by the hood of his coat. Lifting him up like a mangy cat before throwing him bodily through a couple of desks and against the school wall. It hurts, of course it does but not anymore then falling does some days. Tsuna takes this chance to try and scamper through the door they'd helpfully thrown him closer too.

Voices laugh behind him, thunderous voices, so many voices all talking and laughing and- " It might be better, Sawada-san if you'd just dis **ap** _ **PEAR**_ -"

 _he hates. he hates, he hates, he hates, he hates this town, he hates this school, he hates this life, but he won't give up, he won't he won't he won't he won't-_

A new hand, a different leg, a fist, someone brought a bag this time ( _that's new. their learning. not good_ -) and holy shit what's in that bag, rocks? Apparently we're graduating from school yard bullying into actual assault, beautiful.

 _he won't let them win, they can hurt him, they can kill him but they won't win, he won't give in, no matter what, he'll never let them win- he's stronger than they'll ever be-_

Suddenly hands are all around him pulling at his new coat, he can hear them talking about it, how nice it is and _this was his his mother gave him this-_

Everything around Tsuna freezes.

The world still moves on, voices can still be heard outside the small classroom this has all been happening in, but to the children inside the world stops.

The one closest to Tsuna on the floor has gone deathly pale. His hand is still wrapped around the hood of the green jacket, but he can't look away from his seconds-ago victim. He can only see one side of Tsunayoshi's face but the one eye he can see has him pinned to the floor as if he was a butterfly on some kids bedroom wall. Tsunayoshi's eyes are black depths of _seething_ rage. An abyss of space that sucks in everything in its path _,_ so different than anyone else's he's ever seen.

It won't look away.

There's something _wrong_ with his eyes, something _wrongwrongwrong_ with the boy on the ground.

' _It's unnatural_.'

A long, slow blink. No one breaths.

' _He's a demon.'_

Tsunayoshi's mouth draws into a flat, straight snarl.

' _I'm going to die.'_

With a high pitched scream that raises into a shrill screech the boy flings himself as far away from Tsuna as he can get. It causes a domino effect with all the other boys. They fight over each other to escape the room, pulling hair and scratching eyes to get ahead.

It takes only moments before Tsuna is alone.

A crowd gathers outside the doorway but refuses to take the final step to go into the classroom the group of known school bullies just ran from. Tsunayoshi is a dichotomy in the social structure of Namori Elementary. He's a pariah but he's also one of the most well known kids. He's simple to understand but… unnerving at times. He's easy to bully but impossible to break. No one likes him but they can't help but watch what he does. It's a vicious cycle that's turning darker and darker the older they all get.

Minutes or hours after the crowd forms outside the classroom with a motionless Tsuna in it, Hibari comes sweeping out of a side hallway to stand in front of the doorway. It scatters the crowd of watchers like birds before they settle a small ways away.

Hibari, unlike every other person to pass by steps into the room. That he does so with his usual aggression is noted but not commented on by the peanut gallery.

Tsuna moves slightly but doesn't get up. His voice, when it comes, is completely even. "I suppose I have to deal with you now, as well. What do you want, Kyoya."

Hibari doesn't reply.

He turns his back on the boy in front of him and glowers out at the crowd that had moved closer to hear what Sawada might say. With the Demon Perfect staring them all down, the majority of passerby move on. Most of the fun is gone now that Hibari was there anyways. But a stubborn few refuse to move. Hibari widens his stance and flick's out those demonic tofas. Ready.

Tsuna watches this all happen by the reflection in the window his facing, numb but vaguely confused on why, exactly, Hibari decided he needed guarding after he'd already chased his attackers away. It's not like he's wasn't used to the whispering of the faceless, nameless masses. It didn't matter what they said about him. If he could take bearings like the one he'd just had he could deal with stupid rumors. He was _fine._

They spend an hour in silence, Hibari standing at the door and Tsuna laying on the cold floor. The bell rings for second hour and even more students start coming out of classrooms all around them. Hibari does nothing, not even when a football is thrown down the hall. Just stands exactly where he'd started and glares at everyone who looks like they might come over.

Yamamoto passes by and Tsuna can't help but smile bitterly when he looks away quickly, smile never leaving his lying face.

 _And you wonder why you'll never be_ _ **mine.**_

It's only Ryōhei dashing through the school corridors that completely draws everyone's attention from Tsuna and Hibari. Intense Ryōhei who Tsuna can see spots them for half-a-second before almost exploding in 'EXTREMES.' It's a great way to clear a room. Or, in this case, a hallway.

Sometimes Tsuna forgets, along with everyone else, how scarily perceptive Ryōhei was, forgets he's Kyōko, who lies just much and just as easily as Yamamoto does, twin. It's so easy to forget because he's so much kinder than she is, so much more honest. Tsuna wishes…. for something he can't name. Something that doesn't quite click.

His _knowing_ murmurs in the back of his head, unignorable, whenever Ryōhei's around. Always, _always_ there; half in uneasy want, half in hopeful denial because no matter how much Tsuna tries, how much he shrinks himself down to something almost manageable, it doesn't _work_. Ryōhei doesn't _fit,_ he's either not big enough, or bright enough, or to kind, or-

-or Tsuna would swallow him whole.

Take _something_ from him until Ryōhei was nothing anymore. Just another part of Tsuna, not his but not- _not_ his, there but not in the _right_ way, not in a way that wouldn't take Ryōhei's inborn kindness and twist it, because Tsuna wasn't a kind person, not anymore, he _couldn't_ be. He would take, and take, and take and _takeandtakeandtakeandtakeandtake_ -

Tsuna doesn't want that, just wants _him_ , wants him to fit enough that his _knowing_ will stop screaming about how _wrong/right_ he is every time they catch a glimpse or hear his voice.

But it's not enough, no matter what he does, he's _to much_ and Ryōhei is _never enough._

It's not _fair_ that Ryōhei is still so damn kind all the time.

Nothing's ever fair.

 _Hibari never even flinches._

—

They leave at the end of the day.

Together they walk towards Tsuna's house. It's in the complete opposite direction from Hibari's Family home (Tsuna would know, he's mapped it all out.) But they walk. In silence.

It's nice.

It's only when they get to Tsuna's front door, right before before he goes into his own house, Hibari lightly grasps his sleeve. So tentatively, as if scared Tsuna would turn and lay into him. Tear him to pieces.

 _But Hibari's not scared of anything. Hibari fights monsters and Yakuza everyday. He can't be scared. He can't be. (God, Kyoya don't be scared of me. I don't know what I'd do if you're scared of me too)_

Tsuna takes a deep breath and lets him. Because Hibari fits. No matter how it burns him to admit, no matter how much he hates that _Hibari_ fits but _Ryōhei_ doesn't or what it says about him, he _fits_ and Tsuna needs that; Is _going_ to need that, _already_ needed it.

He hates his _knowing_ more often than he likes it, since it makes hiding from painful truths close to impossible. But unless he wanted to end until horribly hurt or killed by not listening to it, he didn't exactly have a choice about what he knew. That was something he'd learned very well after that man had came. Way too well.

A while later, an eternity later, Hibari lets go and is gone.

When Tsuna walks into his house, his _home,_ he's still numb. Today had gone even worse then he'd thought it would, even worse than his _knowing_ had told him it'd be.

His Mama is standing there, at the stove, just like she always is when he gets him from school. If he ever actually goes. She's cooking something, he can smell it but it makes no difference either way. She'll have forgotten he needs to eat as well and Tsuna will have to go and use the money Madrina had given him to get his own food at some point.

"Someone tried to steal my jacket today."

Nana hums happily, "Well I hope you weren't to hard on them Tsu-chan. You know how kids are!" She stirs the pot of whatever it is and never looks away.

"They kicked and punched me, Mama. It hurt." Tsuna's voice quivers, just once before he can get it under control.

A tsk sound comes from Nana's back. "Did you start it, Tsu-chan? Your teachers are always calling and telling me your getting into fights! You know if you hit someone their going to hit back." She _never looks away from her pot._

"They started it. They _always_ start it." He's trying. He's trying so hard to not yell, to not scream but he just wants her to _listen_.

Nana turns to look at Tsuna ( _just see me!)_ but her eyes are the same vacant, far away gaze she always has when he has to look at him. "No-Good Tsuna-chan~ You really shouldn't lie to your mama! What would daddy say if he could hear you right now?"

And Tsuna _**burns**_ _._

He burns with the knowledge that she knows who his father is, burns with everything he can't say to her, can't help but feel for her because she's his mother but he _hate he-_

Without a word Tsuna goes up to his room and collapses in bed. He doesn't want to think anymore. It hurts to much.

That night after Nana had gone to bed he makes plans while sitting on the roof of his mother's house, bought with the money of a man who had no idea what his wife hid from him, watching the neighborhood he'd grown up in slowly winding down to sleep.

Old Mrs. Ahiko on the corner who was a widow that none of the adults liked, but who always had a kind word or hiding place for him when he was being chased by the determined bullys, the ones who didn't seem to understand that no matter what they did to him he _would_ get them back, was peeking out her window to wave at Hibari's small patrolling form.

Despite his mixed feelings for the asshole, Tsuna could admit he did keep the elderly of Namimori safe. No delinquent, no matter how dumb, wanted to cross the Baby Hibari so they steered clear of the more stereotypically vulnerable members of their community. The younger adults however were fair game to Hibari. If they ended up getting scammed, well, it was their own fault for not being more of a carnivore.

Across the street the Himito family was arguing, screaming really, again. But he could _just_ barely see the eldest daughter sneaking out her open window with her little brother tied to her back, down towards a waiting car. She had a bag, finally, and Tsuna was so damn proud of her for getting the strength and leaving for good this time..

And this had to be the last time from how quiet she was being as she climbed down. He hoped for the both their sakes that this was it, that he wouldn't get to watch her take that well-worn route ever again.

Tsuna would admit he was jealous of that strength, no matter how long it had taken her to save enough of it up to actually go. He hated this town, but he was still petrified of actually leaving it. Even with someone so much better waiting just outside his reach.

Even before he'd known about _Reborn_ , it had been this way. He'd always had the urge to leave, to run and just never stop. Always thinking about it, wishing for it, longing to just _go._

It's been something he's been fighting for a long as he can remember. Even before that man, when he was still _whole,_ still knew what the feeling of warmth meant _,_ he'd known without a shadow of a doubt he'd leave one day.

He'd never known why, or where he'd go, but it had never been a question of _if_ , always only _when_. But then he'd been captured, held captive by _ice_ and a _fear_ so potent some days it was all he could do to just _move_. Somewhere, anywhere, when his base instincts screamed at him that it would be so much safer to just stay completely still, so nothing could see him, nothing could hunt him. He was small, and weak and so easily killed.

That sense of wanderlust that had enveloped his dreams for so long, turned into a desperate need to escape. Not to run just for the sheer love of _going_ , but the hunted, dangerous sprint for some kind of safety as far away from where he was as he could get. Like the feeling of a fox getting run into the ground by dogs, constant thunderous barking behind him, teeth right on his heels, the certainty that if he slowed down at all he would never be free again.

But it's whenever he's not paying enough attention, that the suffocating panic always tries to rise up against him, threatening to overwhelm all of his carefully thought out plans with the _need_ to struggle. To snap and snarl at anything that wanted to hold him, to chain him.

The terror of not being able to control his own fate, of being as weak as he was that day when the _cold_ came and he suddenly knew so much more than he had ever wanted to know.

- _e knew the old man only meant well, knew he didn't understand what he was doing, didn't know the cost knew papa was so selfish, 'my perfect little family,' so cruel, knew Mama was a liar, knew Tsu-kun a lie, what was he lying about? he wasn't a liar! Tsuna knew, he knew, he knew,_ _ **Rebo-**_ _stop! stop, too much too much, I don't want to know, mama, mama help m- '_ _ **silly no-good Tsu-kun~**_ _!' no no no no no no Vip- Mada- it's so col-_

But others times…

Tsuna hates the other times so much more. They're worse. Much, much worse. Times where he's so overcome with the sure improbability of actually being able to escape, that he loses hours, days, to a numb apathy where nothing matters. When he can't ignite the _something_ that burns in him enough to care about anything. Not Madinra*, not the School, not even Hibari.

Just a dullness that follows him around as closely as Kyoya does those missing days.

He _hates_ it.

He hates everything about that feeling. Like your numb to the world, your head stuffed full of cotton, just waiting. Always fucking _waiting._ Because the rest of the world can't be like this, right? They can't feel like they've got to drag themselves along day-after-day just to get up. Just to hope too god that there is something else, anything else, out there.

He _will_ keep fighting, no matter what. He won't let them win. He won't! He'll leave just like the Himito's oldest daughter did, he has someone who's waiting for him, someone who wants _Tsuna_ for himself. He knows it.

…. _he won't…_

—

A small wisp of warmth burns inside Tsuna that night, it's tiny and uncertain but strong against the cold of well-intentioned ice that's frozen it into dormancy since he was five years old.

It's such an odd feeling for a boy whose only known the cold for so long, but it's there all the same. Unwavering in a Will all it's own.

 _The seal cracks a little bit more inside him_


	14. Testis unus, testis nullus

_Green! Is a way of life_  
 _And the millions would kill to see their name up in the lights_  
 _For the green is okay tonight_  
 _But be careful what you wish_  
Because you might get what you like

Viper's heart drops down into their stomach when the first cursed syllable leaves Reborn's mouth. He can't know. There's no _possible_ _way_ Reborn can know where she is or what she's doing. No way.

"Reborn." Viper said after an off beat of panic that she viciously shoves down. "What do you want."

Reborn's voice absolutely _croons_ through the phone in her ear, " _Raggio di luna,_ run away with me. We can watch the sunset from the top of a gorgeous hotel pool, one filled to the brim with gold and ivory. Walk along the shores of the coast, hand in hand. Leave the Mafia behind, finally start our lives together."

"To expensive." She hoped to god he wasn't in Japan. That he was literally anywhere else in the entire world other than Japan. "But let me guess, you're in Japan." Please, oh please god, say no.

"How did you guess? Do you keep tabs on me, _cara_? Do you wait with baited breath for when we're in the same time zone, like I do?"

"No." She said curtly. Shit, he was in Japan. This was not good.

Reborn's gasp over the phone was dramatically overdone, but still carried that same level of confidence it always did. "So cruel! How can you stand it? Being so close yet slipping through my fingers whenever we met?"

Viper can't help but huff, "You mean when you stalk me. Around the world." She watches quietly, most of her attention focused on the phone, as Fantasma floats back over to sit on her head, the small Flame in the reptiles middle engorged with blood and wherever else they'd eaten off the bodies. "Everywhere I go."

Viper can almost taste the amused smirk in Reborn's voice when he replies, "Is it really stalking when you always know and escape?" A handful of gun shots go off in the background that almost cover Reborn's voice. "You seem to know where I'll be faster than I can find out where you are, _la mia luna insanguinata."_

"Yes _,_ it is. In every single law _including_ the Mafia's." Viper said distractedly while Fantasma starts to float then both away from the bloody ground. Seems like she really would have to call a Varia clean up crew at some point, since even Fantasma couldn't get it entirely cleared away. With mid-air jump after they pass the highest buildings, Viper is flying through the air invisibly, faster than any car on the ground towards the airport _and_ the private jet she's forced to use by Xanxus while out of the country alone.

It's easy to jump back into the conversation after the pause, Reborn appearing to have also been a slight bit busy with whoever had the unlucky fate to run into him. "And stop calling me that."

"Calling you what, _cara_?" Reborn says innocently. Completely at odds with the violence Viper can hear coming from the speakers.

"You're moonbeam, bloody moon, dear, darling, everything. Stop calling me those things. We aren't _like_ that." We haven't been for a very long time, she doesn't add but it's felt between them as deeply as the ocean. They _aren't_ like that. They haven't been for so long it's not even funny the time that's passed.

The airports coming up in the distance now, the Varia's private jet is still exactly where she'd left it days ago in preparation for Tsuna meeting Shamel. There isn't any blood on the outside of the door either, which means no ones tried to get into it again after she left and forbid cleaning the inside from the airport staff.

"How can I ever stop when it's the only way you'll let me tell you I'm here for you. For a hit, a favor, meet up, anything you'll give me." Reborn's voice was very deliberately not desperate. Even, throw away almost, as if he couldn't care the least about her answer. Like people wouldn't pay millions of dollars to get this much vulnerability from the infamous Hitman. "That I'm _here_ , _mi_ _amore_. Always here for you. _Only_ for you.

Viper almost drops out of the sky by that admission. She'd apparently forgotten exactly how Reborn was in the couple of months she'd been avoiding him. But Reborn's always been like that. Even as kids he'd been intense in the way he cares, on the ones _who_ he cares about. He had all the intensity of the giant rage ball in the sky aimed solely at the few people he trusts. The Arcobaleno as a whole, Shamel, Aria and Yuni, Bianchi, Vongola Nono, to a certain degree (Due to the man's mother.)

 _Her_.

Vipers flight path wavers and she doesn't respond immediately. Reborn doesn't push her to either, waiting silently for her response. She hates how considerate he's being right now, hates that she's hiding this life changing secret from him because ever since the beginning, when she'd first seen Tsuna and had flashbacks to her own childhood, she'd never once thought about telling Reborn about his son.

Not seriously.

It would be nice, of course. If she could have told him. Reborn would have been over the moon in his own way, he'd always had heavy ideas about family. How to treat them, how to prepare them for the Mafia. Unlike how they'd been funneled in with no other choice, so young with next to no knowledge and told to work it out or die, Tsuna would have been so well prepared he'd have probably taken over his Father's legacy and _expanded_ it.

He'd have been magnificent.

But so much hung on who Tsuna _should have been._ He should have been a Vongola Heir. Hidden but still _one of them._ He's known throughout the Mafia since his 'Father' had the ability to keep a secret like a parrot at a murder scene. The Mafia as a whole knew all about the 'Hidden Heir.' If he disappeared…

But this, hearing Reborn talk to her like this, like he always does, hits her where her shriveled up heart used to be. Hits her where Tsuna had fought and taken up residence.

It hurts, it hurts so badly but she _can't_.

She can't start this war. She refuses to start this war. She'll protect Tsuna and Xanxus when it all comes out, because it will all come out at some point. Secrets like these don't stay hidden forever, no matter how much some people might want them to. She'll fight tooth and nail and Mist when Tsuna finds Reborn and Reborn refuses to let him go, but she won't start it.

"I don't want you to be here for me." Viper said coldly. "I haven't wanted you to be anywhere for me for over 50 years, I don't need you and I never will." Viper spat out her last words like a bullet, "Leave me alone."

Reborn's side of the phone goes deathly quiet before a woman's sharp scream cuts through the static. More bullets follow quickly, indescribably fast then the call drops.

Viper swallowed hotly, her shaking hand lowering the phone from her ear and prayed for whoever next meets the man. He won't be in a good mood for a very long while after that. Viper knows she could fix it, probably. Call the man back, not— apologize, exactly, but continue the conversation instead of cutting him off so harshly. She won't but… she doesn't hate the man, not anymore. She hadn't been so bitchy to him in years. Not since before they were cursed.

But at least this way he'll stay away from her for a while. He'll stop following her so closely and by extension, he won't find out about Tsuna until the boys ready.

Viper shivers as she went to open the Jets door, this was the right decision, she knew it was. It had to be. But it felt like someone had just walked across her grave.

With a sigh and a small shake of her head while she flops down onto the admittedly over plushed chair, Viper puts it out of her mind. She'd never been one for superstitions and she wouldn't start now.

As the plane starts to move in the runway, the Varia Quality pilot having been staying in it while she went about her business, she wondered how Tsuna was doing. She wouldn't be able to check until she landed, Varia planes having to be completely blacked out so they couldn't be tracked but it's an itch not knowing. Not being sure he made it back safely, that she hadn't been able to see him home to _that woman_.. It's an itch she knows won't pass until she lands and she'll be able to check when she reaches the mansion, that is if the others don't completely ambush her the moment she lands. Contentedly thinking about her Sky and fellow Elements (which she would never, ever tell any of them) Viper settled in to sleep for a few hours.

Moments after Viper settled in to sleep she lurches out of her lounge on the chair, Fantasma going flying across the plane to splat into a window with the strength of the motion. Her hood falls back and acid green eyes stare in horror at nothing.

" _What am I going to tell the others about Tsuna?!"_

* * *

 _And fame is what you make of it_  
 _And when your whole wide world's a stage_  
 _How much can you flaunt it?_  
 _How much do you want it?_  
 _There's something about the—_

* * *

Tsuna wakes up to an electrified zing, lighting made immaterial, that starts at the bottom of his toes and goes up through every bone he has, zigzagging across his body to each and every single part of him, like an insistent child who's screaming for you to get up, before it finally stops long enough to fry his poor head with enough adrenaline to give a rhino a heart attack.

It's the most dramatic his _knowing_ has ever been and one time It'd warned him hysterically about a 'deadly' snake. The snake had ended up being barely as long as his hand, not even venomous and just as aggressive as it'd warned him she'd be. He'd been hopelessly taken in by the little rage machine and named her Moxie when he couldn't force himself to get rid of her. Mainly because that snake had more wrath in her tiny little body then even _Hibari_ and that was something special. He'd always had a soft spot for animals, the ones that had no problem lashing out when you did something to them they didn't want even more.

It takes him precious seconds that he could be using to pack, but he can't move. Tsuna has _never_ felt anything like that in his life. If he's being honest it terrifies him. What the fuck could be happening that his _knowing_ had felt the need to scream it as far into space as it could?

Tsuna shudders when a second wave of _go/now/what are you doing/up!_ And decides he really doesn't want to know what his _knowing_ would do if he decided to ignore it some more.

He crawled out of bed, practically falling over the edge when another, small bit no less painful wave hits him.

Suddenly the window to his room started to look incredibly inviting as a means of getting out of this room as fast as humanly possible.

A few panicked minutes later...

The last time he'd seen this particular Adult Hibari he'd almost lost his will to rage and hopelessness. Seeing him now, at this.. trying time was very much not appreciated. But he had to tell one of the Hibari's he was leaving. It was a strategy he hadn't tried before now, but why the hell not? First time for everything and if he didn't leave soon he was vaguely sure that his _knowing_ would somehow find a way to kill him out of sheer annoyance. As it was, his _knowing_ was already impatiently pacing inside him, ready to get on the move again.

Fon was as inscrutable as always. The prick. He sat on his floor cushion as calm as could be. A small pot and two small cups were seated on each side of the low table between them. The tea was cooling slowly with neither of them reaching to take a drink. Tsuna too nervous, ready to jump out of his skin at any moment and bolt while Fon looked as if he'd nearly forgotten there was tea on the able at all, despite the careful way he'd made the cups (exactly how he liked his tea too. Creepy.) when Tsuna has first arrived, gasping and sweating like a mad man through his window.

Tsuna twitched.

Fon's vague smile turned up at the corners.

Tsuna stilled. All movement stopping until the only thing that made any type of motion was the erratically wild beat of his heart. He would swear up and down that Fon could hear it, since it was the only thing echoing in his ears.

"Are you quite alright, Tsuna-kun?" The question didn't break the tension in the room like Tsuna had seen in the movies, but seemed to heighten it even more. He felt like eyes we're all over him. Reading, dissecting. Digging deep into some core of him that even he didn't know.

Tsuna's lip trembled when he opened it. He felt like he had no control over his body, working entirely on autopilot. "I need to leave." He really had a problem with just blurting things out that he had no desire whatsoever to say. He should work on that; It'd only ever brought him misery.

Fon's head cocked to the side gracefully. He looked like he should be puzzled, like that was the emotion he was aiming for but just couldn't quite form it like he should. A robot trying to convey emotion it just couldn't feel. "I'm certainly not stopping you. You, of course have the ability to leave whenever you wish."

With a scowl painted on his face and black eyes straight on Fon, "I _mean_ ," Tsuna stressed, "I need to leave town."

"I see." Fon said mildly. Tsuna had absolutely no idea what was going through the man's mind.

"Today," he added, "I need to leave today. Right now." Tsuna's hands shook but he forced them under the table to try and hide the tremors. Fon didn't so much as blink at him but Tsuna had a horrible feeling that little move hadn't been missed at all. "If you don't fight me on it."

"Tell me, Tsuna," Fon's own dark eyes looked into his gently. Like the calm waters before a waterfall. "When will you be happy with the outcome of this game?"

Tsuna's eyes dilated and he leaned back slightly from the table. His hands were no longer balled into fists, but spread out openly on his thighs. "Game? I'm not playing any games." Tsuna was baffled and annoyed. Was that really what they all thought about this? It was all some type of game? Was that why they always chased him when he left? Some demented game of hide and go seek-tag?

Fon's smile never faltered.

"Not that game, no. The one you happen to be playing with my great grand-nephew." One of Fon's hands reached out from the sleeves of his robes and softly picked up the tea cup. The tea was stone cold.

With a small shake of his head at the thought that everyone besides him can read minds, Tsuna drew up. Straightening his spine unconsciously he was somehow able to look down at Fon from his shorter position. "I'm not playing any games with _Hibari_. Why would I ever do that? I'd die." He has no problem admitting that. Hibari wasn't human. He was a demon sent up from hell to torment and capture him.

Fon laughed the sleeve covered hand not holding his cold tea rose up to hide his grinning mouth. "I can never tell when listening to you Tsuna-kun," he tilted his head forward as he sniggered his long black braid falling over his shoulder to thump softly on the table, "if what you say is refreshingly truthful or unintentionally chaotic. You're quite the unique child."

Tsuna was getting angry again. The black tar that was always inside him was slowly starting to warm. "Thanks so much. An old man thinks I'm either stupid enough to enjoy being patronized or nieve enough to take anything you say as a compliment." Tsuna's mouth dripped bad tasting truth like sake. "If we can get back to the 'you not chasing me when I leave' part I'd appreciate it a lot more than whatever this is."

Fon's face showed no visible offense, but his _knowing_ informed him eagerly that the first chip in the ever serene mask he was famous for had been hit. Fon's tea cup made an audible chink when he harshly set it down, "I'll have you know I still look 25 dispite whatever you might think, child."

Tsuna smelled preverbal blood in the water of Fon's insecurities. "Keep telling yourself that, Grand Uncle Grandpa. I'm sure you'll eventually convince yourself even if you can't convince anyone else." Tsuna grinned positive he'd hit right where it hurt the most.

The hand still wrapped around the delicate tea cup Fon had set down tightened until fine lines ran down the cups outer edges. Small chips appeared at the top of the fault lines, but strangely no tea seeped out. With an almost invisible twitching eyebrow Fon breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. "You've without a doubt just proved Nature over Nurture in less than five sentences, Tsunayoshi-kun." He closed his eyes and continued to breath deeply. "I'd even be impressed at how you found the one thing to pick at, if someone else much more refined in abilities then you hadn't already tried that same tactic on myself days ago."

Yeah, Tsuna didn't buy that for a minute.

"Well it looks like it probably worked amazingly well then too, since a kid saying it got that kind of reaction out of you." He never could help digging in just that last tiny bit when he got a good opening. If wasn't his fault everyone just showed their weak spots like that. What was he supposed to do? Ignore them? He wasn't a saint.

Fon's hand released the cup finger by finger to grip onto the hard wood table between them. Deep fingerprints engraved themselves into the wood one by one. "Your material is old, little one. You just happen to remind me of a rival of mine I dislike _greatly_ at the moment. Seeing as he's left a very large problem directly in my lap and he doesn't even know it."

Tsuna visibly looked around the room in genuine confusion. "What does that have anything to do with your entire family stalking me when I try to leave? That's literally all I'm here for." Tsuna opened his arms in a shrug. "I will happily get out of your frankly stupidly pullable hair and stop insulting you with _great_ insults, if you can please tell me you'll definitely control the murderous homing pigeon you tell the world is your nephew."

Fon's fingers left the table and went right to his forehead rubbing in circles as he muttered to himself. "Yes, there is absolutely no denying what you are. Only one other person has ever been able to trigger such an overwhelming need in me to shut them up."

Tsuna signed himself and buried his face in his hands, his _knowing_ raising again like a tilde wave. He'd been able to ignore it for a while needling at Fon but it was coming twice as hard as before. Downright demanding to be heard and be heard _now._

"Where will you be heading to, Tsuna-kun? I'll need to know so I can keep Kyoya away from that direction for however long you'll be there." Fon's voice was long suffering.

Tsuna's hands slammed down from his face onto the table and he leaned forward excitedly, "You'll really keep him away!? You'll let me go?" Tsuna's grin was blinding and his eyes sparkled like shined onyx.

Fon, obviously not expecting such a complete turn around stared at Tsuna in dumbfounded awe his hands held limply by his face. "I definitely don't see the resemblance now."

Tsuna groaned and forlornly flopped back down on his cushion his legs sprawled out dramatically. With all the bruises he had covering him at the moment, what would have been a child throwing a tantrum looked like a Gothic abuse victim.

"Oh, I see it again. How strange." Fon shook his head, his long hair moving around him softly. "Yes, I'll keep him away from where your headed, Tsuna-kun. I just need to know where."

"Well…" Tsuna started, still not raising from his spot dramatically laid out like a murder victim, "The small issue with that is I'm not exactly _sure_ where I'll be heading. I only have a vague idea of which way I need to go." He stopped talking and checked his _knowing,_ "Which seems to be south at the moment."

"... you don't know where you're going but you expect me to leash Kyoya-kun so that he doesn't come after you? You don't know where you're going and you expect me to just- let you leave?" Fon stared down at the tips of Tsuna's wild hair, the only thing he could see from this position.

"Yes."

" _Why_ would I ever do such a thing? You're a nine year old with no idea where he's headed." Fon said completely exasperated with him.

"Well, if you don't I'll probably _die_ so here's me hoping to some god to have mercy." Tsuna continued mumbling, "Not like that's ever helped me before though…"

Fon signed deeply through his nose and shook his head sadly, "Tsun-" he started but Tsuna interrupted him before he could continue.

"And by die I don't be the normal, "Ugh, god, I'm so bored I'm gonna die!' that the kids at, well, everywhere say. " He added hurriedly hands going to his hair to pull making the already wild strands even worse. "I mean, I will _actually physically die_ from something if I stay here. I don't know what, I really fucking wish I knew what," Tsuna laughed crazidly his eyes staring up at nothing. Fon winced at the curse. "But I don't, so I really need you to rein in your crazy nephew and any common sense your family has and let me go."

Fon stared at the child on the ground and contemplated. He sat perfectly still. Tsuna just laid there. To overwelemed with dread to even try and act tough. There was no reason for Fon to let him leave this time, when he and all of his family hadn't before. This was impossible. He was going to die, he'd never get out of this town and he'd never meet Reborn. Everything he'd ever done to try and change his fate was for nothing, _he_ amounted to nothing, who was he trying to kid? He'd never been anything important, just a small spec in the grand scheme of thin-

With a decisive clink, Tsuna could hear Fon place down his tea cup. Chancing a look Tsuna peaked over the table to look at the stoic man. He looked exactly like he had when Tsuna had appeared in his window demanding a meeting, still smiling slightly and poised elegantly unright. Relaxed but leashed. But, unlike when Tsuna first busted in the man's eyes had changed. At least the look in them. Before they'd been shuttered, guarded. Ready to placate and redirect whatever Tsuna threw at him. Now he looked dim. Tired, even.

Fon sighed.

"You'll be taking precautions, of course." He gazed sternly at Tsuna. "You'll allow us to put a tracker, one that you won't break, on your person. You'll be using my personal expense card for all your purchases, and you'll check in by phone at least once per day."

"Yes!" Tsuna shot up grin stretching his face uncomfortably wide.

"If you don't.." Fon trailed off before a devious, faint smile formed on his face. "I'll let Kyoya-kun off his leash. No one wants to see just what he'd do in the wider world. Right, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna shook his head wildly his spiky hairy brushing against his cheeks. He, specifically, didn't want to see what Hibari did around normal people or what he'd damage he'd do trying to track him down.

"Good. Good.." Fon looked out the window at the fading light, playing idly with his tea cup. He was still tired looking, like he'd lost some type of fight with himself at some point in their conversation; now he was only waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I suppose you'll be leaving now."

Tsuna hopped up quickly almost losing his balance but caught himself before he did more than trip slightly to the side. It was always annoying when he lost all balance and his feet tripped out from under him for no reason. Then other times he'd be able to balance on things that really shouldn't allow it. Gravity was weird like that around him.

Oh but this was perfect! He didn't have to use his own money (he would be taking it for emergencies though. He didn't trust the Hibari and this Hibari in particular as far as he could throw them. Which clearly wasn't very far with his toothpick arms.) and he'd be able to get some petty revenge draining him dry. The tracker was annoying but doable, especially since he'd know were it was and when they inevitably tried to sneak an extra one on him, he'd be able to destroy that one with extreme prejudice and innocence.

"Whatever you need!" Tsuna did a little unconscious hop, "Anything else or can I go now?! Like, this has been fun and all but I need to head out. Now. Immediately".

Fon stood up slowly, with the languid grace of a big cat he crossed around the table hands held casually in his robe sleeves. His long braid swayed behind him hypnotically. But what really caught Tsuna's attention was the ice cold cup of tea Fon had been holding for most of the conversation even once he'd sat it down, the one Tsuna knew for a fact couldn't have been warm anymore after sitting out so long, steamed with a graceful wave of smoke coming from the impossibly warm liquid.

He would have known, would have noticed, if Fon had stood up to change the tea, r even poured more for them both but the man hadn't moved like that in over an hour. There was no possible way for that tea cup to be hot, yet it was. The steam rising off of it was solid damning proof.

It's an impossibility that makes Tsuna uncomfortable for reasons he can't form in his mind or with words. He doesn't get long to contemplate any of this since Fon is suddenly right beside him, one long arm going to rest on his shoulders to lead him towards the door. Tsuna flinches and quickly ducks his arm, scowling at the man as he walks backwards towards the door. Fon simply smiles at him, eyes squinting happily. Tsuna had the strange feeling that the only reason he was able to duck Fon's arm was because the man let him.

Everything about that thought was annoying. He was annoying. Maybe even more annoying than Hibari was. At least the younger Hibari was straight with you. If you were in his way he'd beat you up, if you said something he didn't like he'd beat you up, if you breathed wrong or happened to be in the same central vicinity as him. You guessed it, he'd beat you up. He was honest in that regard. You always knew what you we're getting with Hibari. Fon, though? Tsuna could tell, even if he didn't have his knowing, that Fon was a slippery bastard. He just had that face that you wanted to hit until he told you what he was actually feeling. Annoying.

Tsuna followed Fon out, once it became clear to the man that he wouldn't be showing Fon his back. Fon indulged him clearly, which made Tsuna bristol internally again but he couldn't afford to piss the older man off. He was only getting out of this town (Finally!) with his blessing. He'd at least wait until he was far enough away he could ignore it if the man demanded he come back. See? He could plan ahead! Take that _Madrina_!

The Hibari household was traditional to the point it almost looked like a restoration of an old japanses home, Tsuna thought as he walked quickly through the building after Fon. If it wasn't for the very obvious Hibari-like additions made to the house, he might even think it was unlived in. The gleaming metal shutters shaped like traditional window coverings and what he was pretty sure was bullet proof glass, not to mention the reinforced looking rice paper doorways, quickly put any thought like that in the grave.

Fon stopped abruptly in front of him, his braid softly stopping its ryemic swing. Tsuan too curious to really watch where he was going ran face first into his surprisingly hard back. He pushed back quickly, a small blush forming on his face. "Hey! Why'd you stop?" Tsuna demand, "We need to go!" Fon smiled placidly over his shoulder at Tsuna who sent him a dark look back.

"Well-" Before he could say another word a terrifyingly quiet mass of two fighting people busted through the wall. The only noise from their fight was the crunch of wall collapsing under their bodies and the soft sound of something rapidly hitting flesh. It was unnerving. Fon's eyes took on a distinctly wicked look while his smile stayed the same. "-I wouldn't want you to get caught in a family tiff, Tsunayoshi-kun." He continued like he'd never stopped talking.

Staring around Fon at the quietly seething ball of hate and Hibari Tsuna decidedly kept his mouth shut.

The rest of the walk towards the outer perimeter of the Hibari household was uneventful, even though Tsuna couldn't stop himself from jumping at shadows. Fon's knowing smile didn't help matters. When they finally reached the front door, Tsuna's nerves were shot but he was victorious. He'd be leaving this hell hole and the town!

Fon stopped and turned smoothly, no effort used that wasn't required and crouched down to Tsuna's height, arms still held together in his sleeves. His face had gone from his face and his eyes we're serious. Tsuna backed up suspiciously and Fon's smile returned, instantly, insincerely to his face, but he allowed the child the room he wanted.

"I need your promise, Tsuna." He said calmly. "I need you to promise me that you'll keep the tracker on you and you'll call to check in once a day." Fon offered out his hand.

"... why is this so important to you anyways? I'm just one kid." Tsuna looked down at his own hands, fingers picking at the skin surrounding the nails." I don't need or want you to do all of this."

Fon kept his hand raised but didn't push to have Tsuna take it, "I care because your a very special little boy Tsuna and your going to be very important one day." Fon's smile dropped just slightly but it didn't make the other man look less friendly. Strangely enough to Tsuna, he actually liked it better when Fon wasn't forcing that creepy cheerful smile all the time. He looked more human with all the weight and stress everyone else had. "I know you don't understand but your very important to a lot of people, and one day your'll be loved by even more."

Fon seemed to struggle with saying something,either not knowing how to phrase it or unsure if he should even say anything at all. "Do you remember that friend I mentioned earlier? The one I said you reminded me of?"

Tsuna nodded slowly. He did remember that, the one who used his material before he did. ( It was still original! Just because some stupid adult used it first didn't mean he hadn't thought of it first!)

"Well.." Fon paused and seemed to struggle even more with his words. He seemed conflicted, from what Tsuna's _knowing_ could tell. His smile dropped completely and Tsuna had the startling conclusion that Fon and Hibari looked almost identical. Like Fon could be his twin if it wasn't for the age difference. He'd never realized with Fon's constant smiling

"Well," Fon continued finally, " I'd like you to meet him at some point in the future."

"What?" Tsuna scowled confusedly, "Why would I want to meet your friend? Even if we are alike who says I'd even like him? Or that he'd like me!"

Fon grinned naturally, his entire face beamed at Tsuna. "Oh he'd definitely like you, Tsuna. He'd also be very, very surprised that you exist." Fons eyes gazed at nothing for a moment, lost in some dream world Tsuan couldn't see. "The look on his face alone.."

Tsuna groaned and jabbed Fon harshly in between the eyebrows."Can you focus, Old Man! I want to get out of his some time today! I don't have time for you to be losing your memory!" Fon jerked back his eyes zeroing in on his own and Tsuna could have sworn himself sick that Fon's eyes, just for a split second, had flashed a blood red color.

It scared him. He didn't know why his _knowing_ wasn't even screaming at him, but it scared him. It felt like he'd been just seconds away from death. It wasn't possible for eyes to change color like that. Fon must have somehow sensed Tsuna's terror because his hand automatically went to wrap around his shoulders in a hug. Tsuan struggled against the embrace, but Fon's rock hard arms refused to let him go. He'd have more hope bending straight steel with his hands or flying. Fon shushed him softly, his soft braid trailing against Tsuna's cheek and despite everything it was nice to be hugged like then when he was scared. Fon's robe was soft and he smelled like cinnamon and iron, for some reason. An odd combination but it was comforting in thi moment. He wasn't even sure why i scared him so much when he knows it wasn't possible that Fon's eyes actually changed color.

They stayed like that for a time. Tsuna never hugged back but he no longer struggled against the embrace nor did he stand as stiffly as he could have if he was uncomfortable. Fon released him, after a time. His arms slowly letting go before he drifted back slightly his arms going back into his sleeves easily. He smiles softly at Tsuna. "Would you like to continue with our discussion or wait until tomorrow so you have time to relax?"

"No!" Tsuna blurted out, jerked from his content mindset that the hug had lulled him into. "No, I'm fine. We need to do this today. " His hands nervously picked at the skin around his nails more, "I have to leave today."

Fon sighed but held out his hand once again, "Then can you promise me, Tsuna? That you'll check in daily and keep the tracker, undamaged, on you?" His hand didn't move any closer towards Tsuna.

Tsuna stares down at the hand. It's covered in calluses, hard and tough from whatever it is Fon does for a living. If he makes this promise he'll have to keep it. He hates liars and refuses to be one himself when he doesn't have to. He really doesn't want to take that hand.

He does it anyways.

Fon holds his hand softly, even with how rough they are, like Tsuna's fragile and the slightest touch could break him apart. "Thank you, Tsuna. I very much appreciate it." Fon gives his hand a very small squeeze before releasing it.

Tsuna leaves after that. Confused on what had just happened, exstatic he's get to leave the town and stay gone without anyone trying to drag him back. His _knowing_ wasn't even acting up all that much anymore, yes it wanted him to leave but know that it had confirmation that Tsuna would actually be doing what it said, seemed content to sit back and wait for a bit.

Fon, on the other hand wasn't quite so content.

He watched the young, bound Sky run off confictedly. On the one hand it wasn't his right to stop a Sky from wandering when they decided they needed too, but on the other he was just a child He thought to himself, A bound, child Sky that was desperate to leave the town for some reason.' Fon rubbed his forehead tiredly, And that wasn't even adding to the fact of this definitely being _Reborn's_ child. There was no telling what type of trouble he'd get into out there.

Fon let his hand fall back into his robe sleeve and clutched at the phone he'd been toying with while Tsuna was in his care. Bringing it out one last time before he had to go make contingency plan for the multiple different scenarios Tsuna being free in the wider world would inevitablely cause, Fon looked at the screen.

 **(No Missed Calls)**

He shook his head tiredly and shoved the phone back into his sleeve, turning to walk back inside he sighed to himself, "Of all the times to not be picking up your phone Reborn, you have to choose now to be an ass.."

Well. Whatever the outcome, Reborn at least couldn't blame him for not answering his own phone. Whatever happened now was his own fault.

* * *

Tsuna races back to his house egeraly, he takes every short cut he can, ignores the calls of his name by some of his shadier colleagues. He knows they probably want him to run messages or pass other things along but he doesn't have the time. Even know they'll most likely be pissed he doesn't care. If he's right about what his _knowing_ is telling him, he might never have to return to this stupid town ever again. Or at least for a very, very long time. They can be as angry as they want. He was getting out!

He gains a shadow as he passes one of of the side buildings, skidding around it by a water spout he doesn't stop to acknowledge him. If Fon was truthful his shadow would be caught and held long enough for him to get out of the town. And if Hibari actually left town after him Tsuna would be amazed. He loved this town more than anything else. Not, Tsuna assured himself in his own mind where no one even knew what he was thinking about, that he cared. It was just the truth. No reason to have any feelings at all about anything to do with Hibari.

He ignores his shadow even harder after that. He refuses to look up when a small squawk of surprise come from above him then that sound of crashing and the snarls of an angry Hibari. He doesn't look back once. It doesn't matter, he doesn't care!

Finally reaching his house he's tired enough from the run that he can ignore when his _knowing_ whispers _'liar…'_ in the back of his head.

He doesn't care.

His Mama is sitting in the front room listening to quiet music while she reads some type of small book. There are small snacks sitting on the table in front of her. It's a peaceful scene that Tsuna can't help but thinks he ruins when the moment he opens the door she tenses. He wishes…

But it doesn't matter what he wants. It's never going to change, and no matter how much he wants his mama is always going to be this way. It doesn't matter how good he is or what he buys here. She'll always hate him, wouldn't she?

Tsuna's fists tighten and he can feel as his eyes tear up beyond his control. She can always bring him to this. It's not even the black rage he feels sometimes, ist just… sad. He's so, so sad when he sees her. "Mama?"

Nana ducks her head more into her book, "Yes, Tsuna-kun?" A page flips.

"I'll.." A tear slips through his control, "I'll be gone for a little while, Mama. So don't worry about me, ok?"

Nana turns farther away from Tsuna's form, standing in the doorway. Another page flips, too fast for her to be actually reading them. "..That's nice, dear. Make sure your home by 9." Nana replies with a slightly strained pause.

"..Yes, Mama."

Tsuna leaves the doorway of the front room of the house and races up the stairs. He doesn't stop as he gets to the landing but hurls himself at the far wall and punches it as hard as he can. It resounds with an audible crunch but he doesn't notice or he just doesn't care as he keeps punching it again and again, until his hand is mangled and bloody and the wall's plaster is all over the floor.

There's a hole now, where there wasn't before but it was either that or scream his throat raw and that's not an option.

Turning from the bloody wall he stalks towards his room, slamming open the door he looks around at the place he's lived his life. It's a normal room. Something any other 9 year old would have, he guesses. Maybe a little less lived in then normal. There aren't many stuffed toys, and he didn't have many electronics, but it was filled with books and pictures of him and V, him and some of the nicer guys he'd met, animals and place he's seen running stuff.

He might not love this town, or this house, but he'd miss his space. His knowing had already informed him weeks ago he wouldn't be able to take more the the necessities he's need to survive. Everything else would get lost or broken. Tsuna reasoned he'd be able to come get his stuff again once he found Reborn and got to live with him. It wasn't like his Dad wouldn't let him have his pictures.

He heads straight to his closet and the hidden floorboard that hides his money and knapsack filled with what he'd been told he'd need. Flashlight, some clothes, a blanket, some protein bars, and all his money. It wasn't a lot but it was just what he needed. With a nod Tsuna, stood up and looked at the door. He really didn't want to go back down the stairs, he'd have to see Nana and he really wasn't sure if it'd be better if she did or didn't react to his hand.

Welp. Tsuna headed towards the window, it was really lucky for him that almost-fall from that hotel balcony basically cured him of all fear of heights smaller than it was, since windows were basically his whole mode of escape now.

His hand hurts.

Tsuna settles himself in his seat on the train out of town. He's heading south since that's where his _knowing_ is still telling him to head. He can't help but stare nervously out the window of the train. It's the furthest he's ever gotten since he started to run away and it only took him promising to come back to finally be left alone. With a small tremble Tsuna sank into the seat and breathed rapidly with his eyes closed.

His _knowing_ pulled incessantly onward and he was scared.

He was scared because something in him, completely different from when he _knew_ things was telling him this was it. This was the end of what he wanted and he wasn't nearly ready.

A bang against his side of the train car causes Tsuna to jerk his eyes open with a start. He looks out the window and catches sight of Hibari being held back by four other of what looks like his relatives, including Fon. The bang was from Hibari throwing his beloved tonfas at the train car.

Tsuna can see the devastation on his face, the way his mouth twists in desperation and his eyebrows furrow in rage. His eyes are flaring with a wild, animalistic terror and he's showing more emotion then Tsuna's ever seen him show before and it sears into his soul.

They catch eyes and hold as the train starts to move and Hibaris's struggles get more and more hysterical. They stare at each other and Tsuna places a hand on the window. He doesn't know if Hibari will be able to understand but he has to say it anyways. "I promise, Kyoya." He vows, his hand clutching at the window pan with his finger tips, "I promise, after I do this, I'll come back. I'll figure out how to fix all this. This cold, me, you. I'll fix all of it." Tsuna makes this a promise to himself and Hibari. Once the cold is gone, once he finds his father, he'll come back. He'll fight Hibari like they used to, he'll find out why he can't let go of this horrible, aggressive person. Why he still cares.

He can't get Hibari's eyes out of his mind the entire ride.

 _(No one's ever looked at him like that before. Like he was all they needed.)_

* * *

 _Come and get it_ _  
_ _C-Come and get it_

 _Won't you get it, forget it_  
 _I'll bet that you're gonna regret it, oh_  
 _Tonight you got the green light_ _  
_ _But once you go green, you're green for the rest of your_ ** _life_ **.

* * *

The ride passes slowly but, after stop after stop his knowing finally give Tsuna the go ahead to get off at the next stop. He's almost 6 hours away from Namimori and its exhilarating. Tsuna follows after a family so the station masters don't get suspicious and looks around, disappointingly the town looks almost exactly like Namimori. He'd been hoping for something a little more...interesting. Oh well, Tsuna shrugs as he follows his _knowing_ around like a dog on a leash. He's not here for interesting, he's here for his dad. When it tells him to hide in the shadow of an ally he does, when it tells him to look at fruit turned away from the left, he does, when it tells him this is one of the most important days of his life, he listens.

His knowing tells him to climb onto a roof in an old warehouse hours after he arrives, the sun's going down now and it's starting to get colder but he's determined. It tells him to creep along the side of the building until he finds a broken window. It tells him to go inside, slide low along the walkway and _watch._

But before he's able to do more then lok in and catch a glimpse of two men soe one runs into him and they both go tumbling off the roof he's on. It's not a far fall, since they hit some luckily placed cloth roofs on the way down but it still hurts like a bitch.

Both him and the other boy groan. Tsuna rubs his aching head and looks scowling at the other boy. He looks a little bit older, he's got weird silver hair and very pretty green eyes. The other boys already glaring at him as well. That only makes Tsuna scowl harder as he hadn't been the one running along rooftops like a mad man.

"What the fuck, dude!" He only just opened his mouth and Tsuna can alrady tell he's not a fan, "Watch where your fucking going!"

Tsuna scoffs, "Yeah, let me just make sure I'm not standing anywhere ever again. You're the one who ran into me." Tsuna stood up and looked at his already wrecked hand, relieved it wasn't worse from that fall.

The other boy also stands up and bristiles, " We'll why we're you even up there!? That's no place for kids!"

Tsuna looks at him incredulously, "You're.. also a kid. What were you doing up there?"

Silver hair puffs up even higher, "That's not any of your business! Why do you even care, huh?!"

This guy was weird Like, Really weird. He kept looking around nervously when he wasn't trying to look scary. It was almost… cute? Weird.

Tsuna smirked, "Well," He drawled out mockingly, "I'm not the one who knocked myself and someone else off the side of a building, I think I'm allowed to ask. Don't you?"

The kid goes bright red and looks down and away, kicking at the dust, "I'm older than you probably.." He mumbled, "I'm Hayato, by the way."

He takes it back, he definitely likes this kind and he's adorable. "I'm Tsuna." He looks up at the roof and how far he's going to have to climb again. "Why were you running anyways?"

The kid, Hayato, looks like someone hit him with lightning bolt and he turns around so fast Tsuna almost doesn't see the way he ducks out of the hold of a black suited guy, "Because of that! Run!"

Tsuna without though grabs his hand and drags the bigger boy behind him as he runs. Hi _knowing_ gives him directions on where to go, they have a couple close calls with Hayato calling out taunts at the group of men chasing them and Tsuna has to hide them a couple of times so he can laugh and Hayato can giggle before their off again. This goes on for a good twenty minutes before they finally lose the men and they both break down howling with laughter.

"Why-" Tsuna gasps, "Why were they chasing you?"

Hayato looks up from where he'd collapsed on the group to grin at him, "Their my fathers men and I slipped away from them for a bit." He flops on his back and breathes deeply, trying to stop the leftover giggles, "I got tired of them all going, 'Young Master, you can't look at that.' or 'Young Master, I must insist you slow down!'" Hayato scoffed, "What's the point of even coming to this country if I can't look at any of the stuff."

Tsuna stands fully upright with his hands on his hips and stares down at the boy, "So what you're saying is that your here with your dad and ran away because you were bored?"

Hayato scowled down at the ground," I mean.. I guess.." He wouldn't look up at Tsuna.

Tsuna bent at the waist to get close up to Hayato's face his head cocked to the side and a quizzical look on his face, "Your dad took you to a whole other country and you just...left?"

Hayato shrugged.

Tsuna flicked him in the forehead and when Hayato flinched away from him, one head coming up to rub at it he glared up at Tsuna, "Hey!"

Tsuna flicked him again.

Hayato squirmed away from him, "Stop it!" He whined hand held protectively to his forehead.

"I think your an idiot." Tsuna said bluntly. "If I had a dad and he cared enough to take me with him on a trip to another country I'd be ecstatic. But what? You decided to be bratty because he wasn't spending enough time with you?"

"No!" Hayato protested then scurred back some when Tsuna raised his finger pointedly, "He has been spending time with me! He was just busy today."

"Then why'd you run?"

"I.." Hayato blushed and looked down again, "I guess I just wanted him to spend all his time here with me and when he couldn't I got mad.."

Tsuna rolls his eyes at the childishness of the other and is eternally grateful he's never been this childish in his life but pats the other kid on the head anyways. When Hayato looks up questionably he smiles down at him. "It's a great thing to have Family that loves you, Hayato. You really shouldn't take that for granted."

Hayato stares up at him with literal stars in his eyes for some reason he doesn't know. And Tsuna can feel...something from him. Like from Hibari. It's the same, twisted want/want/destroy that always taints their interactions. Suddenly, out of nowhere as far as Tsuna can tell, he wants this older kid. Wants him to be his. To share everything with him.

The moment breaks when adult arms grab Hayato by the waist and lift him up away from Tsuna. The older boy starts to struggle before a voice calmly says, "Young Master, it's alright. It's only me." Hayato looks for the other boy, the Sky he'd found and been so close to keeping..!

But he's gone. Tsuna had vanished out of his life as quickly as he appeared. Not even when his guard hugs him to show he wasn't angry only relieved they'd found him, can Hayato look away from the last place he'd seen him. He feels almost empty, like he'd been filling up with water but then it'd all drained out of him in a rush. He takes the guards hand when it's offered to him and leaves the last place he'd seen his friend.

Tsuna waits just long enough, hidden in the shadow of some buildings to make sure the man who grabbed Hayato is someone he knows before he leaves. He can't afford another Hibari right now, not when he's so close to his goal. It doesn't matter that his chest hurts watching Hayato walk away, or that his throat clogs up when he's finally out of sight. He has to find his dad.

Tsuna returns to the building he was at before Hayato bowled him over and climbs all the way back up onto the ledge he was originally at. His _knowing_ is still pulling him instead the building, so he follows. The first thing he sees is darkness. There's almost no light in the warehouse, since that's what it is Tsuna can tell now. The second thing he sees is a rickety walkway that his knowing is pulling him along. He takes silent steps, one after the other as his hand trails the guard rail until he sees a dim light and two figures somewhat in it. As he gets closer, Tsuna knows who one of the men automatically.

The first time Tsunayoshi sees his father, he's about to kill a man.

He's tall, Tsuna notices first. He's tall and he blends in with the shadows of the warehouse almost. He has on a black suit, a white shirt, a black hat and a yellow tie that matches a yellow stripe on his hat. Tsuna can't see his face, not from here, but he's standing tall like he doesn't have one fear in the whole wide world and Tsuna is smitten. He wants to be exactly like him, wants to look that put together, that intimidating.

There's a green lizard on Reborn's hat, Tsuna notices next. It's crawling around and Reborn doesn't even seem to notice it or if he does, he clearly doesn't care. Tsuna stares. The Lizard, he realizes, is staring back. Before he can duck down a shot rings in the air and the last thing Tsuna notices under the shadow of Reborn's overwhelming presence is the man on his knees in front of him. He's got one hand clutching a strangely smoking bullet wound that's staining his suit and he's also staring up at Reborn. But instead of the awe Tsuna knows is on his own face, this man looks terrified.

Tsuna's doesn't need his _knowing_ to inform that he's going to watch Reborn kill a man. It's obvious despite how much Tsuna wants to deny it. There's no other outcome with all the things happening, the man, the bullet wound, the gun, Reborn's stance. Tsuna doesn't know what to do. He's never seen a man killed, not really. Not even with all the places he's been when he wasn't supposed to be. He doesn't want the man, whoever he was, to die. He can't stop this, there's no way. Does he even want to? Maybe he deserves it, maybe he's a horrible person, but Tsuna _doesn't want to watch it happen-!_

Another shot rings out somehow echoing even louder than the first now that Tsuna knows where that first shot went. It's so loud and so sudden that he doesn't even realize it was aimed in his direction until one of the bolts holding the platform he's on is shot out causing the whole thing to fall to one side. Tsuna slides down the metal grate floor but catches himself on a hand rail before he falls completely off the platform but before he can do anything else, try to climb up, something, anything at all to save himself, his _knowing_ yells at him. Another shot is aimed at the walkway, tearing the last remaining bolt from the ceiling. Tsuna goes screeching down to the floor, feet and feet below him. Before he hits the ground and splats into an unidentifiable mess of Tsuna a bright green thing completely surrounds him.

Trapped in the green tarp(?) surrounded completely, Tsuna doesn't see the man's head explode or the blood that covers his small prison. He misses the way Leon, though he doesn't know the name yet, refuses to transform back until Reborn gives up and drags the body away from sight. He also misses the way Reborn has a silent argument with his partner on if he'll be cleaning the blood as well. Leon rolls his large eyes at the dramatic Hitman when he huffs and turns his back pointedly.

What Tsuna does see when he's freed from the strange material that saved him, after he blinks a bit to get rid of the bright lights that blind him, is the barrel of a gun held point blank at his face.

"Chaos."

 _They want that green money_  
 _But the, the green lies_  
 _And the grass ain't greener on the other side_  
 _To get that green money_  
 _Would you walk that green mile_  
 _Then pose for the camera while you wave and you smile_  
For the—


End file.
